Her cravings for him continued with passionate shared kisses. Axel traced his lips down her throat and body which continued to shudder with desire. The heaving of his chest subsided as he regained control of his breathing. Their lips came together once more after smiles adorned their expressions. They sensually touched each other’s soaked bodies amidst the tropical rain turning to a heated mist.

After a short while Axel led Kerry to his bed where their bodies entwined in a romantic embrace. Again she wanted to speak, but withheld her words, not wishing to corrupt the silence. As a young girl, she had always been afraid of the dark. There with him, she could only savor the night.

Once more his fingertips faintly traced across her lips. “Do you remember when I told you the meaning of the word interlude?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes,” Kerry whispered.

Gazing into her eyes, Axel softly spoke. “There is another meaning. An interlude can refer to a short period of time, during which something occurs differently from what previously happened and what will happen next.” Caressing her face, he added, “I believe we are currently existing in such an interlude.”

“How long do interludes last?” she hesitantly asked.

Sighing deeply, he replied, “As a composer, the interlude of a composition can vary. In life, it is fate which dictates the duration, and it could end in the blink of an eye.”

Kerry moved over, resting her head on Axel’s chest. “What if we don’t want it to end?”

Wrapping her within his strong embrace, he breathlessly answered, “Then we refuse to let go.”

After a quiet hour passed Kerry pulled free from his hold and stood up to get dressed.

“Stay,” he whispered.

Kerry desperately wanted nothing more than to be held by him. Yet her troubled thoughts found everything so confusing. Vietnam wasn’t the place to fall in love, but there was no denying that’s where she was heading. And she also worried about Winston and his inevitable reaction if she revealed her feelings for Axel. She knew it wouldn’t go well. Winston once told her how he’d ruined the career of another photographer by lies he’d told. Kerry had worked so hard to be a photographer, to be accepted in a world dominated by men. Was she willing to risk everything for love? Would Axel be there if the life she had built for her fell apart? The only thing certain was that Saigon would be lost. What would happen after that?

Looking at Axel, she could see from his expression how much he ached for her to remain there with him. Just the sight of his eyes caused her to let go of her worries. With no more hesitation, she eased onto the bed and back into his arms. They shared a passionate kiss before falling asleep.

Hours later, before dawn, Kerry quietly closed his door behind her when she left, regretting how he would awaken to find her missing from his side. She regretted that too.