"Well… Captain Mark is working on it, Kye. I don't know. Let's hope so, eh? We both want you to remain here…"

"You really mean that, Mrs. Dianne?" he almost gasped out, his young mouth and dark eyes agape.

"Of course I mean it, darling…"

He bounced forward then and kissed her on the cheek while Sergeant barked in a throaty tone she'd not heard before from him. Kye said: "You make me so very happy, Mrs. Ma'am! I want to dance… but instead I'll go take my shower! Thank you! Thank you…!"

His exuberance, his open heart-felt joy, had softened Dianne like a wet sponge. Even her breathing was uneven as she walked to her bedroom. Oh, Mark had to do something! The authorities must be made to understand the necessity of keeping this boy here! His whole future depended on it, and after all, wasn't that the basis of the United States of America?

She began to undress, thinking these things, the pleasant mood her thoughts had woven for her responsible for the little shivers of happy excitement which continued to flutter through her. In the privacy of her shower, those same tiny thrills persisted, and magnifying considerably whenever she let her mind dwell on Mark and what their first night in bed together again was going to be like!

God, she was acting like a wanton little hussy, and reveling in the knowing of it, the sensually incited young woman shamelessly realized as she smiled to herself. And why not? There was certainly nothing wrong in a wife's having erotic desire for her own husband, she happily thought, toweling dry and slipping on her short, green chiffon nightie with its almost see-through over-wrap. She would read awhile and hopefully unwind some, but sleep wasn't going to come easily for her tonight, though she was determined not to do it… and tonight he had even left his door open with the light still burning.

Peering around the frame of the opening, the young wife wearing her usual smile, poised her knuckles to tap against the casing… but never did!