The Beauty of Desire in "a winter too long"

a winter too long begins at 3:17 a.m. in a hotel suite. City glow through half-open blinds stripes her restless body. She can’t sleep, so a winter too long becomes her lullaby. Slow, almost lazy circles over silk panties gradually soak the fabric dark. In a winter too long, she pushes them aside instead of removing them—impatient, perfect. Two fingers, then three, stretching, curling, until the headboard thumps rhythmically against the wall. When she finally comes in a winter too long, it’s with a muffled scream into the pillow, whole body shaking so hard the mattress springs sing. Dawn finds her asleep in tangled sheets, panties still twisted to the side—proof that a winter too long worked better than any sleeping pill.