“You’re more beautiful than I ever imagined.”
“Thank you.” She stepped to the edge of the bed and reached for the hem of his t-shirt. “Now it’s your turn.”
When Lukas was as naked as Grace, she straddled his lap once again. This time she braced her hands on his shoulders and pinned him to the bed. He reached for her as she leaned down, and put her lips to his as she spoke.
“Do nothing, Lukas.” She moved above him, the hard tips of her breasts brushing against his chest. Her belly rubbed against his as she took the head of his cock and nudged it between her swollen pussy lips. “Just enjoy the ride.”
With that she impaled herself on his rigid cock, welcoming the hot hardness inside her body. She closed her eyes, and shut out everything. The sounds of his passion, the scent of sex, the pure desire in his eyes-it all faded away as she concentrated on the heat of him inside her. She rocked her hips, rubbing against his pelvic bone, feeling the head of him nudge her special spot. The hot spot that spread more warmth through her with every touch.
She concentrated all her energy on that spot, panting as she rocked faster, harder. She was so close, almost there. Her muscles trembled, but in a delicious way as she pushed forward. Fingers gripped her hips and pulled her down roughly, holding her as Lukas shouted and arched on the bed, thrusting deep. A spark ignited, and she cried out as it burst into flames that fanned out to every nerve ending in her body.
When the fires inside her faded, Grace found herself cuddled up on Lukas’ chest. One of his hands was stroking her hair, the other her back. His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath her ear as he whispered soothing sounds and held her tight. It wasn’t until she tasted the tears streaming past her lips that she realized she was crying.
Three
Panic hit hard and fast, and she steeled herself to move slowly and ignore the loss of warmth as she eased away from Lukas.
No need to panic, she told herself. She crawled from the bed and padded quietly to the bathroom for her robe. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, avoiding the reflection in the mirror the whole time. With a last glance at the sleeping man in her bed she headed for the kitchen and the coffee pot.
Minutes later she slid the pot back under the still dripping spout and lifted a steaming mug to her lips. Everything would be all right. She’d laid out the rules to Lukas before they ever left the store, so he knew she’d only been looking for one night. Besides, preacher’s son or not, he was male. A one-night stand wouldn’t be anything new for him.
Footsteps sounded behind her announcing his arrival in the kitchen, but she stayed at the counter with her back to the room. A well-muscled arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against a hard body. A body that instantly awoke a sleeping hunger within her.
“Hmmm, you smell good.” He buried his nose in her hair and pressed a kiss to her neck.
She fought to control her body’s reaction to his nearness. “It’s the coffee.”
A rough chuckle sounded, and his chest vibrated against her back. Pretending not to notice the tempting hardness pressed against her butt, Grace shifted away from him and reached into a nearby cupboard.
“Here you go.” She handed him a ceramic mug and moved to sit at the kitchen table. He’d pulled his jeans on, but was still barefoot and bare-chested, and the sight was almost enough to make Grace forget why she couldn’t drag him back to bed. Their coupling had been almost magical in its intensity. When he settled into the chair across from her, the soft look in his eyes made it clear he wasn’t going to let her forget it either.
“Look, Lukas,” she said quietly. “I was…in a bad place last night, and I want to thank you for being there for me. But it was a one-time thing.”
He looked at her earnestly. “Why?”
Grace had expected an argument, maybe even some wounded male petulance. Luke’s simple question was a surprise. “Because you’re you, and I’m me, and we come from two very different worlds.”
His brow furrowed before he waved her words away. “We can talk about that later. I meant why were you in a bad place? What happened to shake you up so much?”
Clutching the coffee mug in both hands to still the minute trembling, she met his gaze and spoke in a flat voice that hid both her grief, and his effect on her. “Chelsea died of an overdose last night, and I had to go to the morgue to identify the body.”
“I’m sorry, Grace. I know how much those kids mean to you. My father thanks God in his prayers every night for sending you to his parish.”
She nodded. She thanked God every night in her prayers for leading her to Father John’s church that night fifteen years earlier. The sanctuary she’d found there had given her a new lease on life, and put her on the path to helping others. But that night was her secret. Hers and Father John’s. And as much as she knew Father John loved her for her work with the troubled teens that took part in their after-school program, she also knew he’d never approve of his son getting involved with her.
“It was a tough night. And when I saw you at the store, I was still feeling a little lost myself. You were great, but it was-”
“Don’t!” The firmness in his voice halted her. “Don’t you dare say it was a mistake.”
This was the argument she’d been waiting for. She stared into his darkening eyes and smiled softly. “Okay, it wasn’t a mistake. But it can’t happen again, Luke.”
His cheeky grin gave birth to butterflies in her belly. “That’s okay. Because next time we get together I’m going to take you out for a wonderful dinner, and maybe some dancing.”
The tension left Grace’s shoulders, and she allowed a small smile when she shook her head at him. He’d been incorrigible before, if she wasn’t careful he’d soon become irresistible. “There won’t be any of that either. Lukas, you know anything between us is impossible.”
“No, I don’t know that. And neither do you. I don’t understand what you’re so scared of.”
“I’m not scared,” she denied. She got up and moved restlessly to the counter. She dumped the last of her coffee down the drain and rinsed the cup, using her actions as an excuse not to look at him while she spoke. “It’s just not smart. Not only is your father my boss, but he’s a minister, Luke.”
“So what? My father loves you.”
She turned back to him, folding her arms over her chest. “He loves me as a teen mentor and probation officer who works hard to help kids find a better life. He won’t love me as the older woman fucking his son.” He flinched at her harsh words, and opened his mouth, but she pressed on before he could speak. “Neither would the community that I know means so much to both of you.”
“You’re a part of this community, Grace.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m an outsider. I live here and I serve a function, but I’m not a part of anything.”
He was in front of her in a flash. One hand cupped her cheek and the other her hip as he tilted her head up so she’d meet his gaze. “Last night you felt like the other part of my soul.”
Her breath caught in her throat. He wasn’t laying a line on her, she could see the truth of it in his eyes. Her heart pounded and the shell she kept it encased in cracked before she could shore it up.
“Don’t, Lukas.” She twisted her head and pulled away from him. “Don’t make this out to be more than it was.”
“You can’t honestly tell me it was just a one-night stand, Grace. This has been building between us since we met. What happened between us was special. It was
She heard the anger starting to build in his voice and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she had
