in spite of the stress he was under , in spite of that convo with lassiter on the staircase , in spite of the fact that he 'd started to touch her only because he 'd felt like he should , in the end , and as usual , it had been all about the sex , the raw , pounding sex : autumn was like a vortex that he spun around , the erotic hold she had on his body sucking him in and then spinning him out to the surface for air ... before claiming him once again .