Superorganism. A biologist coined that word for our great African ant colonies, claiming that consciousness and intelligence resided not in the individual ant but in the collective ant mind. The trail of red taillights stretching to the horizon as day broke around us made me think of that term. Order and purpose must reside somewhere other than within each vehicle. That morning I heard the hum, the respiration of the superorganism. It's a sound the new immigrant hears but not for long. By the time I learned to say "6-inch Number 7 on rye with Swiss hold the lettuce," the sound, too, was gone. It became part of the what the mind would label silence. You were subsumed into the superorganism.

To be full of being is to live as a body-soul. One name for the experience of full being is joy.

Charlie had kissed a lot of guys. And Connor's kiss had been the best ever. Ever, ever, ever.

Charlie swallowed. He was gloriously sexy. The hottest man she'd ever seen with his sculpted chest and abs., narrow waist, long muscular legs dusted with dark brown hair. Her gaze roamed over every inch of him before settling on his erection. It was big, thick, and hard for her. Her mouth watered in anticipation.

With a gentle touch, she brushed the hair off his forehead. "I was sort of hoping you'd be a little more relaxed today."He took her hand and kissed it."I'm very relaxed.""Finally?" She raised her eyebrows and snuggled closer."You feel a little stiff."And getting stiffer by the second. He had zero control around this woman. "We should probably do something about that.

He parked the car, pressed the button for the roof to fold back, and undid his seat belt. "It's an emergency."Goldilocks giggled. She unfastened her belt and hopped onto her knees. "Yes, I can see" - she glanced down at his crotch - "That we're in danger of a detonation. What's the protocol in a situation like this, Mr. Environmentalist?""I'm afraid I have no choice but to advocate for release.