Agatha awoke to sunlight streaming across her pillow. It felt early, and she rolled over to look at the clock to see that it was only half-past seven in the morning. When she sat up and pushed her heavy hair out of her eyes, she noticed Roark sitting in a lounge chair on the balcony overlooking the city street below.

The fact that he was still there made her heart skip a little. She was sure he would leave.

Agatha reached for a robe on the chair next to the bed and wrapped it around herself. Then, taking a deep breath, she joined him on the balcony.

"Good morning," she greeted as she slid into the lounge chair next to him.

He had one knee up with his elbow resting on it as he ran his dog tags through his fingers like rosary beads. Roark turned at her greeting and gave her a small smile.

"Good morning." He took his time, letting his eyes rake over her relaxed form before he turned his attention back to the view. "You're up early."

"So are you. In fact, I'm surprised that you're still here. I thought for sure you would have left already." Agatha kept her gaze trained on his strong profile and noticed he frowned.

"Why would I do that? We agreed to two weeks, didn't we?" He turned his attention onto his hands that were still working the chain.

"We did, but I had the thought that maybe one night would scratch the itch, and you would change your mind about the two weeks." Agatha shrugged in an attempt to let him know it didn't matter as she turned her gaze onto the city below.

"One night was definitely not enough," Roark said in a low sexy voice.

"So Paris?" Agatha asked as warmth filled her chest at his words.

"Paris," he agreed as he pushed up out of his recliner and walked towards her. "But first," he leaned down and placed a long kiss on her lips that made her heart race, "a shower and breakfast. How do you feel about traveling by train?"

"I'm O.K. with it." Her voice was a mere whisper.

Who was this man? He seemed almost lighthearted.

They took their time getting ready, deciding to take the scenic train route to Paris and stay overnight on the train. Roark had to go back to his room and pack his stuff before they could leave, and it gave Agatha a chance to text her family.

Her family was large, so texting was always the most efficient means of communication because it kept one from having the same conversation twenty times.

They thought she would be returning to the states immediately, but when she mentioned that she needed some time to decompress, no one fought her on it. They all told her to take her time and that they would see her in a few weeks.

Roark was not who she expected him to be away from the military. He was considerate and incredibly charming to everyone he met. Agatha caught herself staring at him in confusion more than once as they made their way to the train.

"Who are you?" she asked as they settled into their compartment.

Roark's lips twitched. "I am no longer your superior or co-worker. I can afford to relax."

"The others would probably never believe it." Agatha shook her head once again in disbelief. She almost missed the old Merrick.

"Probably not," he agreed with an amused expression, "but the others are not my problem right now."

"Then what is your problem?" Agatha asked as she threw her legs up on the bench seat, which converted into a bed.

"My stomach, let's go find the dining car," he held out his hand for Agatha to take.

Agatha took his hand with a pretend groan, feeling the same spark she had felt the previous night. "You're going to make me fat."

"Hardly." He shook his head as he held tight to her hand and led her through the cars until they reached the dining room.

It was packed, and Roark took his time looking at all of the tables until he found one that suited and led Agatha over to it. The couple was quickly identified as American, and Roark asked if they would mind if they joined them.

The couple accepted with smiles and made room for them to sit.

"I'm Roark Merrick, and this is Agatha Stevens," Roark introduced, all charm.

"I'm Luke Grayson, and this is my wife, Harper Sinclair," the all-American-looking man introduced. His wife was pretty with dark hair and pale skin, and he was blond and handsome. 

"What brings you to Germany and now Paris?" Roark asked, having no problem with launching right into a conversation. He also had a talent for small talk, which was not something Agatha would have ever credited him with having.

It turned out that the couple was in the process of starting a winery in north Georgia, and they were visiting Harper's family in France after a tour of Germany's wine country.

"Sinclair, as in Sinclair wine?" Agatha asked. It was a wine that was popular the world over.

"Yes," Harper confirmed. "What do you two do?"

"Roark is a surgeon for the military, and I was a nurse, but I just retired and get to go home. Roark only has two weeks' leave, so we thought we would visit Paris before he has to return," Agatha explained.

"Only two weeks together. That sounds so romantic," Harper sighed. "This one's stuck to me like glue!" Harper nudged Luke with her elbow as she looked at him adoringly.

"It took me over twenty years to catch you. I'm not going to let you out of my sight for long if I can help it," Luke replied with a grin.

"Where's home for you two?" Luke asked.

"New York," Roark said as he accepted the food the waiter put in front of him.

"All over for me. I bounced around a lot as a kid. My parents were nomads and went wherever work took them."

"Were they military?" Harper asked.

"No," Agatha shook her head and took a sip of the wine that she had ordered to avoid more of an answer.

"Where do you think you'll end up settling?" Luke asked, grasping the fact that she wanted to change the subject.

"Believe it or not, I have always been partial to Georgia. I have a lot of family and friends there, especially in the medical community. It would make getting a job easier."

"To Georgia!" Harper said, lifting her glass in a salute to her home state.

They all toasted back, and the conversation took off from there. The four of them got on so well that they met for dinner, and Harper and Luke ended up issuing them an invitation to spend a day or two at the vineyard.

It was one of those rare moments when you meet someone with whom you automatically connect.

Later that night, Agatha and Roark were curled up in their compartment, with Roark stroking her bare shoulder while brooding about something.

"What's on your mind, Roark?" Agatha asked. Her head was resting on his bare chest, and she was listening to his steady heartbeat. "Do you think Luke and Harper are psycho killers and we should have said no to a visit to their winery?"

"No, they're a very nice couple."

"Then what are you thinking about?" Agatha propped her pillow up behind her and angled herself so that she could see him better.

"You said that you were thinking about Jenny last night? Why?" He looked up at her with a frown. "It's not good to keep rehashing the past."

"I know that, and it wasn't about her getting hurt or us being unable to save her. Although, I do have moments of what-ifs." Agatha bit her lip. She didn't want to talk about it for fear that it would turn Roark back into Merrick.

"Then what was it you were thinking about?" he pressed again.

"You remember that day with the explosion?" Agatha asked, starting to play with a string on the blanket that covered them.

"I do, for a few different reasons." He smiled.

"Yes, thank you for not court marshaling me for what I said, by the way." Agatha returned his smile.

"You're welcome." He adjusted himself so that he could see her better.

"Well, Jenny and Sherry had a little debate going, not so much a debate so much as a supposition. There was a team Merrick and a team Jesup, but the bottom line was what you would be like in bed." Agatha paused her rushed speech and took a deep breath. "Sherry guessed that you were rough and controlling."

"And your's?" Roark sounded amused, not angry.

"I thought it would be funny if it turned out you were a big teddy bear who liked to cuddle. I had the thought at the most inopportune time." Agatha bit her lip.

"That's why you smiled that day." Roark nodded. "And that was what you were thinking about last night?" He frowned because he probably didn't think it was a sad thought.

"No, I thought that I was going to get the chance to find out if Sherry and Jenny were right, and knowing that I would never see Jenny again made me sad." Agatha took a deep, cleansing breath.

"So, what's the verdict?" Roark asked, pulling her on top of him as he pushed her hair over her shoulder so he could see her face

"A little bit of both, maybe," she whispered as she watched his lips.

"Maybe," he agreed as he pulled her lips down to hers. "It rather depends on you." He rolled her over and studied her.

"How so," she asked before she cleared her throat. She could feel Roark's skin next to hers, and it was electric.

"On what you want and need." He traced her jaw with his finger, giving her goosebumps.

"It's also about you too, Roark. This is a give-and-take affair. I say that we make a deal." Agatha wiggled under him until she was in a position to roll him over and lay on top of him, which he graciously allowed her to do.

"We need to be completely honest with each other. If I want or need something, I tell you, and if you want or need something, you tell me. I want us to both get as much out of these next two weeks as we can." Agatha's eyes drilled into his.

"All right, when do we start?" Roark asked.

"Now, and you go first," she insisted with a grin.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Anything I want?"

"Yes." Agatha felt a tingle of excitement chase up her spine.

Roark quickly flipped her once more, causing her to lose her breath before giving her a devilish grin that made her flush to the tips of her toes.

"Roark," she whispered.

"Don't worry, beautiful Agatha. All I want is to please you."

And he did.