“How does a jellyfish eat?"

“Nematocysts -- stinging cells in their tentacles that stun their prey.”

“What's the greatest danger to kelp forests?”

“Sea urchin overgrazing."

I shook my head. "Creative artist. Budding marine biologist. Is there anything you can't do?"

She gave me a wan smile.

“Hang on to the greatest guy in the world?"

I blushed and Looked away for a moment.

“I'm not the greatest guy in the world."

“You are to me."

“That's the sex talking," I muttered beneath my breath.

“Partially, sure," she agreed before leaning forward and whispering into my ear.

“The sex IS amazing.”

There was a throaty arousal in her voice that almost got me hard just listening to her. But I took a deep breath, and all of a sudden a long quotation I'd recently read came into mind.

“*Love is a temporary madness. It erupts Like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being

‘in love' which any of us can convince ourselves we are.'"

Naimh stepped forward and finished for me, “‘Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away.’ -- Captain Corelli's

Mandolin. I've read it."

I gave her a rueful grin. "I haven't."

She frowned. "Then how'd you know the quote?"

I shrugged. "Was doing internet research about love after our breakup.

The quote stuck with me. Is it a good book? How long did it take you to read?"

Naimh shrugged.

“Audiobook, actually."

I looked at her in amusement. "That's not reading."