Of course she did. She wasn’t dead. In fact, every second that went by she felt more alive. Panicked, she looked over his shoulder, but Father John was gone, and they were all alone.

Get a grip, Grace.

She closed her eyes for a brief second and took a deep breath. Big mistake. His scent filled her head, and her body responded with throbbing heat.

Okay. She pressed her hands, palms flat, against the wall behind her, and made a mental deal with herself. If she couldn’t control her body’s reaction to him, the least she could do was control the relationship. She could maximize the pleasure and minimize the damage to them both.

“I’d love to have sex with you again, Lukas.” She met his gaze head-on and spoke in a husky whisper designed to arouse. “But that’s it, no more talk of love. Can you handle a strictly sexual relationship?”

Five

His gut clenched and his cock twitched behind his zipper. Damn it, Lukas thought, this wasn’t the way the conversation was supposed to go.

He gazed into her eyes, searching for anything other than the lust she hid behind. Nothing. Only heat, and the flicker of something deeper within. Fine, if the way to Grace’s heart was through her body, he was willing to do whatever it took.

If he’d had any doubt about Grace being his other half, it had fled when they’d made love. Sex had just been sex before, but with her, he’d felt…free. Free to be himself, to experience every touch, every taste, every ounce of pleasure he could. She’d put her hands on him, and he’d finally understood what the big deal was.

They’d communicated with their bodies on a level that words could never touch. They’d connected. Now he just had to convince her of that.

“I can handle whatever you can dish out, Grace.” He leaned down and let his lips rub against her ear when he spoke. “I’m yours, however you want me.”

He felt the shudder that went through her at his words and stepped back before he could do something really stupid. Like take her up against the wall of the church’s basement.

Lukas thought he knew what to expect when they got to Grace’s. No talking, just sex. Instead, he got just the opposite. She invited him in, told him to kick off his shoes and get comfortable on the sofa, then disappeared into the kitchen. When she came back it was with a tray of cheese, crackers, and meats, and a jug of iced tea. She tucked one leg under the other as she settled sideways on the sofa, facing him straight on.

Her emerald eyes sparkled and her full lips tilted in a secretive smile. “So tell me, Lukas, what’s your favorite sexual fantasy?”

His jaw dropped. Then he burst out laughing. “You never cease to amaze me, Grace.”

She leaned against the back of the sofa and sipped her iced tea before replying. “What? You expected me to lead you straight to the bedroom and strip down?”

“Well, you did say strictly sexual. But food, drink, and conversation, is fine by me. You know I’m more than eager to build this relationship on all levels.”

“Yes. But what else are you eager to do?”

His body temperature spiked, and his heart skipped a beat.

He recognized her tactic. But her aggression only made him more certain that they were the right fit. He had to trust the interest in her gaze, and the invisible pull between them. It was time to trust his heart.

“I’m eager to do whatever it takes.”

Her cheeks flushed and she cocked her head to the side, nibbling on her luscious lower lip. “Whatever it takes for what?”

The way to her heart, is through her body.

“Whatever it takes to please you.”

He’d obviously said the right thing. Her reaction was instantaneous, and intoxicating. Her lips parted, her nostrils flared, and her eyes darkened. His cock stiffened at the idea of pleasing her, and he set his drink on the table before reaching out for her.

“Down, boy. We’re still talking.” Her tiny little fingers wrapped around his hands and pressed them back to his sides.

His cock swelled further at the command in her tone, and he blinked. Satisfaction eased through him, blending with his excitement, heightening it.

“I thought you were only interested in sex?”

“I’m into much more than just sex, Lukas. I said that our relationship would be a sexual one. But in order for it to be fulfilling for us both, we need to set some ground rules.”

“Rules like?”

“Before we get to those, why don’t you answer my original question?” She smoothed her hands up and down her thighs as she spoke, and it was all he could do not to reach out and do the same. His mind was drifting to naked thoughts and the urge to touch her was almost too strong to resist.

“Your original question?”

“Yes, I want to know what your favorite sexual fantasy is.” Her voice firmed, her words coming out like a command instead of a question.

Before he could think twice his mouth opened and the words tumbled over his tongue. “I want to be told what to do, like you did the other night. I want to be told how to please you like no other has, or ever will.”

Lukas’s admission was music to her ears. She’d been right. She’d tried to ignore the signs in the last weeks, but she couldn’t do it anymore.

Lukas was a natural submissive, and the temptation of making him hers had become too much to resist.

Rules be damned, she certainly would be for what she was about to do. She stood and held out her hand to him. “Then follow me,” she said simply.

Six

Grace led the way down the short hallway to her bedroom. Once inside she motioned for Lukas to stand at the foot of the bed as she flicked on the bedside lamps, bathing the room in an amber glow.

Her fingers hovered for a moment over the dial on the small stereo, but she decided against it. She could hear Lukas’ erratic breathing already, and it fueled the erotic haze starting to envelope her. She didn’t want any distractions.

With slow steps, she went back to Lukas. She reached out and trailed her fingertips across the width of his shoulder blades, as she passed behind him. She stopped in front of him, leaving almost a foot of space between them. “Strip for me, Lukas,” she commanded softly.

He bent down and removed his socks first, then met her gaze while he unbuttoned the simple dress shirt and pulled it from his jeans.

Grace’s pulse pounded and saliva pooled in her mouth when the shirt was gone and he reached for the silver buckle at his waist. His eagerness was clear in the quick work he made of his belt and zipper, shoving his jeans and shorts over his hips and down his legs in one smooth move that stole her breath.

He was beautiful.

She knew men weren’t supposed to be beautiful, but he was. He stood before her completely naked and eager. His dark eyes glowed and a lovely flush covered his neck and crept up his cheeks. When Grace’s gaze landed on his mouth, his lips parted and his tongue darted out.

Unable to resist the unspoken invitation she stepped forward, cupped his face in her hands and brought him down for a kiss.

She nibbled at his lips, before swiping her tongue across them and dipping into his mouth to taste him. He groaned, his breath mingling with hers as their tongues met and danced, tangling and moving together in a natural rhythm that soon had them both panting. She pulled away and became aware of his hands gripping her hips tightly.

“Hands off until I tell you, Lukas.”

His hands instantly dropped to his sides and he straightened.

If Grace had any doubts about his willingness to let her take control, they were dispelled then. She stayed where she was, close enough to breath in his scent and see his nipples harden when she blew a soft stream of air at them. “Lovely,” she sighed.

She reached between them and wrapped her hand around his cock. Not too tight, but tight enough that she would feel every telltale throb and twitch. “The ground rules are simple, and always in effect, Lukas. I’m not into pain and humiliation so you need a safe word. That word is red, as in stop-sign red. If I’m doing something you don’t like, you just shout that word out, and I stop. Okay?”

“Okay,” he replied, his voice thick with lust.

“And just so you know…I love to hear you beg…so don’t be shy.”

A small frown wrinkled his forehead, but he didn’t say anything. He was so innocent; the urge to open the doors to a whole new world for him was undeniable.

She stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward, deliberately breathing hotly as she whispered in his ear. “Do you enjoy oral sex, Lukas?”

His cock throbbed in her hand as he nodded. “I’m going to give you some instructions now, and if you follow them well, you will be rewarded.”

That made his cock jump. It swelled and throbbed against the palm of her hand and she was tempted to get on her knees and take it in her mouth. But he’d said he wanted to be told what to do. So that was what would happen. She released him and stepped back.

“Undress me,” she instructed.

She stood still as he lifted her t-shirt over her head, and his trembling fingers unsnapped her bra. Her nipples ached, begging for attention, but she held back. She wanted all of her clothes off before she let him touch her.

His knuckles brushed against her soft belly as he unsnapped her jeans. He bent at the knees and tugged the denim over her rounded hips and down her legs. A large male hand cupped one calf as he lifted the first leg to remove the pants, then the other. He looked up at her from his crouched position, his hand lingering on her calf as she said a brief prayer of thanks for the urge to shave that morning.

She reached out and stroked her fingers through the shiny locks of his hair. He pressed into her touch just like a cat being scratched behind the ears. “My panties too, please.”

Lukas’ hands slid up the outside of her legs to her hips. He fingered the thin elastic that held the front and back triangles of cloth together. In a surprise move he pulled hard and the elastic snapped. Her excited gasp echoed through the room as the panties fell to the floor.

His hands cupped her naked rear, and he dropped to his knees in front of her. Leaning forward, he rubbed his cheek against her bare skin and made a show of inhaling deeply before looking up at her. “I can smell how turned on you are. Can I taste…please?”

Grace’s knees almost buckled. The sight of him on his knees for her, the words he spoke, the fervent hunger clearly stamped on his face and in the tension of his body, it was like a dream.

“Please me, Lukas. Show me how eager you are.”

Fire licked at Lukas’ insides at Grace’s words. Please her. In that moment it felt like that was his whole reason for being. His needs, the throbbing of his cock, and the tightness in his balls slipped out of his consciousness. His fingers flexed, gripping her butt tightly and pulling her hips closer to his mouth. All that mattered was pleasing her.

Burying his face in the juncture of her thighs, he stiffened his tongue and snaked it into her slick heat.

“Oh, yes.”

Grace’s sigh was music to his ears. He shuffled forward, urging her back until he could lower her weight to the edge of the bed. When his hands were free, he slid them over her curves to her knees, and pressed them apart. He pulled back and looked at the beauty in front of him. Dark red curls were trimmed close to the skin, full sex lips with the tiny dark red nub peaking out. Using his thumbs, he spread her lips and enjoyed the view.

“Lukas,” Grace said. “If you don’t put your mouth on me right now, I’m kicking you out of my house, and never letting you back in.”

The playful note in her command surprised him, and brought a grin to his face.

“Just enjoying the view, babe. You are absolutely perfect.”

“Lukasss.” Her growl turned into a purr when he took a long slow lick before delving in. She tasted so good, so sweet and true. He stiffened his tongue and slid it inside her, going as deep as he could, before pulling out and circling her rigid clit. He flicked and nibbled at the hard little button and felt her hips press against him. One hand shifted upward, traveling over her belly to cup a heavy breast and roll the nipple between his fingers, while the other hand slid in under his chin to tease her entrance.

“More, Lukas,” she encouraged. “Suck my clit.” He puckered up and suckled on the button at the same time he slid a finger into her. Her hips jerked and her cunt clenched around him. “Yes, that’s it. Don’t stop!”

Desperately inhaling through his nose he sucked and then gently nipped at the pleasure pearl with his teeth. Her thighs tightened around his head, muffling the sound of her ecstatic moan as her scent filled his head and went straight south, hardening his cock to the point of pain.