Mice Will Play

Summary: Rogue wants to spend time with her friends and show them a night on the town. However, one of them decides to take a rain check.

“Sage? Sugah, ain’tcha gonna get ready?” Anna emerged from the bathroom adjoining her bedroom suite wrapped in a large blue towel, skin still dewy from her shower. Her auburn hair was slick and plastered to her neck.

Sage replied without looking up from her laptop. “What was I supposed to be getting ready for?”

“We were all goin’ out!”

“No,” Sage corrected her gently, mid-keystroke, “you and Bishop were going out.”

“Excuse me? Have I still got shampoo in mah ears…Ah asked ya what ya thought of goin’ out on the town to that club Ah was tellin’ Luke about at dinner. Ya said ya thought it sounded decent.”

“It did.” Her fingers continued to fly across the keys.

“So?”

“I didn’t say it sounded decent to me.”

“Well…gee,” Anna muttered, throwing up her hands. The motion made her breasts jiggle, threatening the snugness of her wrap. “Can’t exactly read yer mind, sugah.”

“I can’t read yours, either, thanks to your lovely genome, dear,” she deadpanned. Anna turned to her doorframe, braced her hands against it, and proceeded to knock her forehead against it in futility.

“Ah walked right inta that one,” she sighed. Anna began digging through her enormous walk-in closet. “Will ya at least help me pick out somethin’ ta wear?”

“You’re not exactly five; you know how to dress yourself, I can assume.” Sage almost cracked a smile. Almost.

“Yer no fun, didja know that? Ah just mean can ya give me an opinion if Ah hold somethin’ up, and ya help me make sure that it doesn’t make me look fat?”

“You have lovely clothes,” Sage assured her.

“It ain’t just the clothes. It’s the body in the clothes that Ah worry about lately. Goes back ta that whole “Ah can let people see a little skin” now that they can touch mah skin philosophy we discussed downstairs.”

“I see your point.”

“It’s gonna be swelterin’ tonight, accordin’ ta the news. It’s already hot enough ta break a sweat as soon as ya step out the front door.”

“So dress light.”

“Ah wanna dress hot..” Hangers squeaked along the rod as Anna slid them across one by one, eyeing their offerings. “Ah think you’d be the one ta know how ta do that, bein’ how back in the day, ya ran around in camisoles and boots.” Sage’s eyebrows flew up in surprise.

“Hmph,” she sniffed. She rose from her perch in Anna’s papasan chair and set aside the laptop. “Well, if you really can’t make this decision without my help…”

“Ya used ta be hot ta trot, sugah,” Anna cajoled. “G’wan, show me how it’s done!”

“Start thinking about what we’re going to do with your hair,” she commanded, “and step aside.” Anna turned from the closet with a grin as Sage rifled through her clothes.

Downstairs, Lucas poured himself another glass of iced tea and watched the news on Anna’s tiny television anchored under her cabinet.

“…Valle Soleada PD reported more incidents today regarding mutant on human violence and a recent bomb threat from an unnamed source. This is Manoli Wetherell, reporting live…”

Gravity settled over him and spoiled his earlier pleasant mood. It was like watching history repeating itself, promising the same future he’d hoped to help Xavier’s school and Storm’s team avoid.

Out of long habit, he checked the scanner array that linked him to the network. Despite interference with his connection due to unseasonable weather activity over Texas, he managed to find their location. Neither of them had sent out a distress signal…

“Now what are you up to, Ororo?” he murmured under his breath. Both she and the Cajun were the best at making a speedy exit, which was why they were the logical choice for the assignment at the ranch.

He pondered whether to contact them, but Anna’s voice calling downstairs interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey, Luke?”

“Yes?”

“Whatcha doin’ down there? Don’t stand around lollygaggin’, g’wan ahead and get ready?”

“I am ready,” he argued. “I’m fine in what I have on.”

“Naw. Yer fine, shoog, I’ll give ya that, but that get-up ya’ve got on has got ta go.” He stared down at his denim shorts and black tank and shrugged. “We’re steppin’ out. Ah expect ya ta spruce yerself up and put on yer dancin’ shoes. We’re gonna tear it up.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” he muttered under his breath. He heard Sage and Anna chatting briefly before the sound of the bedroom door closing cut their voices off.

Great.

Luke pulled up an online map and searched the local area for a shopping mall. Moments later, he hopped on his bike and sped down the highway. The smell of salt water and the feel of the road thundering beneath him cleared his head and tempered his misgivings about the night’s activities.

I don’t dance.


*

Back in Texas:

“Stormy,” Remy choked before his lips descended upon her,” yer so sexy.”

They fit easily against each other, nearly the same height, and he settled into her fevered kisses and greedy embrace. Her moan was hoarse and needy, but also resigned; they knew what they were doing was wrong, yet they couldn’t deny it anymore. It was bigger than both of them.

He breathed in the scent of her damp skin and hair, enhanced by the moist, floral aromas of their surroundings. He drank beads of water from her lips and neck while she moved against him. Ororo’s lush breasts were firm against his chest, then in his palms as he cupped one.

“Remy,” she cried helplessly as he tugged on her nipple and toyed with it, drawing heat and tightness into her sex, “that feels so good, please, don’t stop.”

“Can’t,” he rasped. “Want you so fuckin’ bad, chere!” She was slightly surprised at the profanity, since he was usually such a gentleman whenever they were together, knowing that she wouldn’t even tolerate blue language from Logan, of all people.

She’d cut him some slack. His mouth was wreaking havoc at her ear, breathing hotly into it and suckling the tender lobe. Remy made sounds of content around her flesh. Ororo felt the bulge beneath his slacks growing and hardening as he ground himself against her. Her fingernails lightly scored his back. She soothed the superficial wounds she made as she kneaded the lithe, solid knots of muscle. His skin was smooth, supple and hot.

He was driven by lust and the spell she had him under whenever she moaned his name. Remy couldn’t get enough of her quickly enough to suit him, but she stalled him, pulling back to look up into his red eyes.

“Wait,” she chided him.

“Like hell, petit!” His erection was throbbing impatiently, craving her wetness.

“Do it right,” told him calmly before kissing him hard. He groaned in satisfaction while she distracted him. Ororo’s fingers worked at his belt quickly; the buckle clattered in the grass when she whipped it away from his body.

“Damn, chere!” Her eagerness turned him on even more. “How bad d’ya want it?”

“Do you even have to ask?” ZZZIIIIIPPP! The slacks abraded his legs slightly as she shoved them down his legs. He nearly tripped as he stepped out of them. Ororo knelt before him, easing herself down his body and trailing steaming kisses down his chest and belly. His hips bucked and she nearly laughed at his sharp intake of breath.

“Holy shit!” he hissed. “Stormy!”

“These need to go,” she told him simply. His dick bobbed free from his navy blue cotton briefs as she yanked him off. Its thick tip smacked her in the mouth as she breathed over it.

“If you say so…holy mother of God,” he groaned as her lips sucked him inside. Her mouth swirled him around in luscious heat and felt like wet silk, and it should have been illegal in forty-nine states.

Except Texas…

The lapping water and night sounds around them mingled with her staggered breathing while she sucked him off. Ororo sighed in satisfaction at the musky, salty taste of his flesh. Her palms skimmed over his beautifully sculpted body, teasing his nipples or combing through the crisp, dark nest of hair around his manhood. Remy’s senses were inflamed by being completely bare out in the open, stroked by the sultry night air and faint breeze.

“You don’t know how crazy you make me, Remy!” she mumbled, fondling him with her hands when she took her mouth away long enough to draw breath. “Walking around in those tight jeans…mmmmmm…smiling like you don’t know how women look at you, how I look at you…taste so good, you’re perfect…” she punctuated each claim with a generous lap or swirl of her tongue. “You’re just…this wicked tease. You break hearts like mine and everyone else’s just by looking at a women with those devil’s eyes…I can’t get enough of you.”

Her words deepened the thrust of his hips as he pushed himself into her mouth, building up a rhythm. Every muscle in his body was drawn tight with the effort to maintain control. His thief’s fingers curled into her silky white hair and clutched it, then cupped the base of her skull to encourage her. She read his signal and suckled him harder, engulfing his entire shaft. His knees almost buckled as the walls of her throat pulsed around him, milking him.

Moments of awe and languor mingled with sharp bursts of arousal as she worked on him, drawing out his body’s responses to her. Remy let Ororo have her way with him, and once again, she didn’t disappoint him. He always trusted his Stormy, one hundred and fifty percent.


*

Valle Soleada:


Roughly two hours later, Sage looked up from the laptop at the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.

“I was wondering when either of you would see the light of day again…oh.” Lucas sauntered into the kitchen and gave her a smile.

“What do you think?” He edged out from behind the counter and let her examine him. “What?” he huffed as Sage motioned to him with a twirling motion of her finger, urging him to turn around. He did a slow, uncomfortable three-sixty. “What’s wrong? Does it look all right?”

“If the look you were going for is ‘young studmuffin mutant on the prowl, ladies, hold onto your panties,” then yes, you’ve succeeded.” She gave a low “hmm,” nodded, and went back to her laptop.

“So it looks all right?”

“You’ll do,” she told him pragmatically. He reached into his pocket for a small tin. “What are those?”

“Nothing,” he muttered, popping one into his mouth.

“Are those breath mints?”

“This sort of thing calls for fresh breath,” he shrugged. “Doesn’t it?”

“You haven’t done this sort of thing much, have you?”

“Truthfully?”

“Yes, please.”

“No.”

“Take a page from Remy’s book. You have to be a lover, not a fighter sometimes.” He snorted, nearly choking on his third glass of iced tea. Between the mellow, sweet brew and the unforgiving heat of the day, he’d grown addicted to it.

“Physician, heal thyself,” he reminded her.

“I can play the role when the occasion calls for it. I was Shaw’s companion for many of Club’s soirees, as well as the facilitator for the events themselves.”

“That was all?”

“Despite some of the rumors floating around the school, no, Lucas, I wasn’t his paramour.” She scanned through the databanks in one window of her screen while she watched the evening news on the other. He watched the cursor’s reflection in the depths of her eyes. She was no longer focusing on him, and he felt strangely hurt.

“This was a pleasure trip. Come with us. Show me what you learned at all those fancy ‘soirees’, Tessa.”

“Sage,” she corrected him, without missing a beat.

“Nope. Sage is all business. I want Tessa to come out and play.”

“I don’t play.”

“I didn’t think I did, either. Look around you,” he said, gesturing out through Anna’s patio doors. “No riots, no robots, no terrorists of either gene, and its finally cool enough that we can’t fry an egg on the hood of a car anymore. Better yet…it just feels so good to feel normal for a change.”

“I didn’t know that was a rarity for you. I feel ‘normal’ every day.”

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t be cute.”

“I’m never cute. Strike that word from your vocabulary.” Irritation filtered its way into her cool tone.

“We’re among other mutants out in plain sight. Look at me,” he gestured, pointing to his eye and its distinct insignia. “I went out shopping today and no one even blinked.”

“You make that look work. Always have. What else is new?” The click of her fingers over the keys was almost rhythmic.

“We don’t have to fight tonight. We don’t even have to be on our guard every second of the day or feel like targets.”

“Liar.” She arched one tapered brow at him.

“All right…perhaps slightly vigilant, but just once, I’m happy to just be out of uniform. I’m happy to just be. I never thought I’d ever come this far.”

“You weren’t the only one who grew up in a war zone, Lucas,” she said softly.

“Then tell the soldier to take a rest and let the girl come out and play.”

“I’m always the soldier, Lucas, despite the change in uniform.” She turned from him and headed to the refrigerator. “And don’t expect another encore from my camisoles and boots any time soon, either.”

“Wait…what?”

“Don’t bother wastin’ yer breath, Luke, she’s a brick wall. Ah already tried ta convince her ta paint the town red with us, but she ain’t gonna budge. Least if Ah still had Carol’s strength, Ah could drag her away from that thing-“

“Don’t be so sure,” Sage challenged. Again, a hint of a smile almost played around the corners of her plump, ripe mouth.

Anna sighed. It was such a waste that such classic beauty was squandered on a woman who was too cold and cavalier to care who appreciated it. Sage’s body was a road map of curves and sleek muscle, tall enough to be statuesque, but not an Amazon like Ororo. She dressed herself in no-nonsense black leather pants (something Lucas often had a hard time coming to grips with; it was distracting and made his thoughts travel in wicked directions) and the school-issued gray striped tank with the team insignia. Jean once jealously admitted that Sage was the proud owner of the best ass in the house.

Her skin was perfect porcelain, creamy and fair, and her eyes were almond-shaped and wintry blue. Her hair was as disciplined as Sage was, skinned back in a snug hair clip and pinned up. The woman herself and her looks intimidated everyone.

She wasn’t the least bit remorseful.

Anna was in the hallway, poring through the closet for her favorite purse. “Wish ya’d change yer mind.” Neither Luke or Sage had laid eyes on the finished product yet.

“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

“Party poop. Guess it’s up ta you an’ me, then, Luke, to…oh. Wow.” She appeared in the doorway and stood agog.

Lucas was similarly affected. Slowly he set his glass back down on the counter so his nerveless fingers wouldn’t send it shattering on the kitchen tile.

He took her breath away.

She was gorgeous.

Sage merely watched the two of them. Measured their reactions to each other.

Anna’s feet were rooted to the spot, shod in a pair of strappy, high-heeled sandals that emphasized lithe, tapered legs. Her short, emerald green dress made them look miles long. If you could even call it a dress…

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath.

Lawd have mercy…

Was that Lucas?

And was that her with her mouth hanging slightly open, heart fluttering and stomach doing a little flip-flop?

Sage quietly extracted a bag of bagels from the lower shelf of the fridge. She deftly sawed one open with a long serrated knife. Any other time, Lucas would have kidded her that she looked too confident handling sharp objects, but his heart just wasn’t in it.

He was distracted.

“Um…you, uh, hungry?”

“Sh-sure, definitely.” His mouth had gone dry. But then his stoic mask was back up as he gestured for the door. “Do you have everything you need? How do you want to get there?”

“Guess Ah can’t ride the bike in this get-up,” she admitted.

“Leave something to the imagination, at least,” Sage deadpanned. “Or try.” Her bagel popped up from the toaster. “Don’t keep him out past his curfew.” Lucas snorted. Anna wrinkled her nose.

“Then let’s get down ta business, Dimples. Toodles, girl.”

“Toodles,” Sage muttered back over her shoulder. She took a hearty bite of her buttered toast as the kitchen door slammed shut.

She lost interest in it, however, as she watched them climb into Anna’s Jeep. Anna’s raucous, girlish laughter drifted back to the house.

It was always so easy to keep Lucas on a long tether, just out of arm’s reach. They both knew it was best, he seemed fine with it, and it caused no complications. But her feelings changed when she saw how he reacted to Anna and the prospect of an evening out with her.

She pretended it didn’t matter as she went back to watching the news.

*

Ororo was undoing him, and she enjoyed herself in the process. Remy groaned with need, but he craved the feel of her against him again.

“C’mere, chere,” he beckoned, drawing back reluctantly and letting his swollen cock slip free of her wet, red lips. She peered up at him in momentary confusion.

“I wasn’t finished!”

“Neither am I,” he offered to pacify her as he lifted her up by the arm. “Trust me when I say, neither am I. You’re turnin’ me on, sweet thang.” His voice was low and thick as he kissed her. His hands wreaked havoc as they caressed and kneaded her, and Ororo moaned her approval into his mouth.

“Oh, God, Remy!” she cried, exchanging her own deity for his. His throbbing flesh bobbed against her, poking itself between her thighs. The wetness he found there enticed him and heated his blood a few more degrees. His blunt fingernails scored their way down the small of her back before he cupped her ass, squeezing it and working her against him roughly.

“I’m gonna make this last, cuz it can’t ever happen again, Stormy,” he cautioned her, even as he devoured her neck. “But ya ain’t ever gonna forget this night. I want ya ta dream about it. And I want those dreams ta put a smile on yer face.”

“They will. I just don’t want this to keep you up at night.” She betrayed her own words as she pumped her hips against him.

He walked her backward, away from the river, and this time Remy knelt before her. She gasped at the way he nipped the pliant flesh of her belly, swirling the tip of his tongue in her navel. He smelled the ripe fragrance of her sex, musky and heady, and he wanted her that much more. He had to taste her.

“Open for me, chere. Bring your leg up for me.”

“Remy, what are you…oh, Remy!” She nearly tumbled back as he looped her leg neatly over his shoulder, letting her foot dangle over his broad back.

“Mmmm,” he murmured as he leaned in close and nuzzled the sweet little nest of curls over her sex and probed it with his tongue. Once he found her tender flesh, he lapped it up. Her legs stiffened in surprise, then relaxed with pleasure as she leaned on him for balance. This time it was her hands that cradled his head, letting it bob and dip over her. Skilled fingers crept inside her, parting soft petals for a better taste.

She grew lost in him. Her inner muscles squeezed around him as he thrust his hand more deeply inside her heat. Her cries grew louder; Ororo was completely heedless of anything but being in the moment with Remy and how good he felt. Pleasure bloomed and swelled inside her, and they hadn’t even made love yet.

He could have been the one, in another time, in different circumstances. Fate cast them as friends and drew different loves into their lives, for better or for worse. They chose to bend fate to their own whims, even if it meant keen suffering over the risk they took. It was worth it as she reached her fulfillment, writhing and moaning a litany of prayers and his name. Remy worshipped her body, on his knees, and could ask for no other favor.

He didn’t have to. He guided her down to the springy grass and covered her willing body. Ororo arched into his embrace and wrapped her long legs around his waist.

“Yer so damned fine, Stormy, ya know that, dontcha?” he urged. “I can’t help wantin’ you the way I do.” She rocked herself beneath him, thrusting up her hips. The slick lips of her sex slid along his shaft with each motion, rhythmically, promising greater pleasure once they joined. Remy cradled her beautiful face in his big hands and trailed heated kisses over her soft brown skin. Her nipples beckoned to him, appetizingly stiff, dark peaks. Remy dragged his mouth over her, between the valley of her breasts and circled the tip, then engulfed it. He suckled her, and the firm, snug pull of his tongue and teeth excited her even more.

“I need you now,” she said, voice hoarse with longing. “I need you so much right now, Remy.”

“Can’t wait anymore, chere!” he apologized. He lifted her hips at an angle that suited him and rubbed the tip of his penis against her tender flesh, then pushed it inside. Her muscles squeezed him, welcoming him as he filled her. Her eyes snapped open in surprise, then drifted shut as he began to move within her.

“Goddess…Remy,” she whimpered as the sensations swept through her. A sheen of sweat covered him, making his muscles stand out more sharply in the darkness. Remy savored the feel of her beneath him, around him, invading him with her essence. Anna’s green eyes drifted before him every time he closed his own, but it was Ororo’s voice chanting his name and crying out how sexy he was, how amazing he felt, contradicting all that he knew.

Oh, yes. He loved Ororo Munroe, not as the love of his life, but as another part of himself that he’d denied too long. Before Anna gave him her soul, Ororo gave him hope, challenging him to dream and work for bigger things than his own gain. She’d never asked anything else for herself, from him, than his trust and honesty. She deserved so much more; his betrayal of Anna shouted back at him that he couldn’t offer Ororo anything more than that if he could hurt the woman who held his heart.

But he relinquished that part of him that Ororo possessed from the moment they met; it was no longer his from their first kiss. If she would still claim it from him, it wholly belonged to her.

He changed position, kneeling up on his haunches and hooking her legs over his shoulders once more, satisfied with the view. Ororo threw her head back and moaned for him, digging her nails into his thighs while she thrust back at him. He rode her hard, wild for her, held captive by the sight of her breasts jiggling as he pounded into her.

“Come for me,” he begged her, “oh, God, baby, please! I wanna feel ya come for me, I wanna hear it from those pretty lips, Stormy…” His dick throbbed for release as she began to spasm around him. He palmed her mound possessively, then dampened his thumb in her juices, rubbing her clit in time with his thrusts. Her thighs stiffened and clamped around his shoulders, feet banging against his back, threatening to snap him in half.

She sang out long and loud for him; a flock of starlings took wing from the trees overhead. Her voice and the shudder of her walls around him pulled him over the edge with her; Remy’s face twisted in pleasure and pain as he came. His climax barreled through him, making his pelvis shut and jerk harder, faster, until he emptied himself.

Her legs went limp, falling free from their perch around his neck. Ororo trembled as he lowered himself to her, his arms unwilling to support him. She easily took that chore from him and held him in her embrace. They listened to each other’s harsh breathing and thundering heartbeats in the cool grass. The sky lost its foggy pallor, and a blanket of stars emerged from the clouds, matching the two lovers’ serenity and contentment. Ororo’s lips feathered over his brow and her breath stirred his hair when she spoke.

“Rogue will kill us for this.” Remy said nothing; words wouldn’t fix it or change any other answers to the question that lingered between them for too long.

*


Valle Soleada:

“Yer attractin’ a lot of attention, shoog,” Anna murmured as they entered the crowded club.

“Look who’s talking,” he countered. “You’ve given about six men whiplash since we parked the car.”

She gave him a shy smile that was still full of feminine pride. She felt exposed and vulnerable, but it was a heady sensation, feeling so many eyes on her, many of them admiring her. She’d always hidden herself under layers of clothing, being able to feel but not touch, secure that she was protected from anyone who wanted to take physical advantage of her.

Her first night with Remy was filled with discovery and awe. He whispered to her that she could never disappoint him, that her lack of experience excited him, that he had so much he wanted to show her. She craved him with a hunger that was overwhelming, even frightening. She opened herself to him, but still felt insecure, afraid that she needed him to much, that she would smother him. His eyes always searched her face, questioning her.

“Why ya so afraid, petit? Remy’s not goin’ anywhere, ya hear?” She heard him, but his latest mission petrified her. Before, she had the liberty of tagging along, knowing she could cover his back, and provide the muscle in case they ran into a scrape.

“Ah almost lost ya once, Rem,” she reminded him grimly. She worried the corner of her lip between her teeth before he swept her back and kissed her. It was long, sloppy and satisfying, and she was slightly dazed when he let her back up.

“Believe that I’ll come back. Know that I love ya and that life ain’t worth livin’ without ya.” His departure with Ororo left her with misgivings that she knew he didn’t deserve.

But there was something in Ororo’s demeanor, in those crystal blue eyes when she watched Remy precede her out the door that made her shiver. Anna longed to call him back, but he was already gone.

When Anna wasn’t fixing bikes, she fretted and stewed, taking long walks on the beach and swimming until her limbs were limp. Sage and Luke’s visit was meant to be a distraction.

She never expected to have so much fun.

“Smile for yer little fan club over there. Want me ta make mahself scarce powderin’ mah nose while ya mingle?” she teased.

“Don’t,” he warned her. His stiff tone surprised her, it’s low rumble slightly anxious. “No way are you deserting me in this crowd.”

“Scaredy cat. Live a little. Loosen up.” She peered up at him from over her shoulder. His chest was broad and firm at her back, grazing her as they navigated through the other patrons to the bar. “Did I tell ya how handsome ya look?”

“No,” he replied over the din of music as they snagged a couple of empty bar stools. Anna propped herself carefully on hers and crossed her magnificent legs.

“Yer wearin’ the hell outta that get-up. Clean up real nice.” Her cat-that-ate-the-canary smile ate him up. Lucas felt himself flush with chagrin, but also pride.

He cut a dash in an olive khaki button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his elbows, exposing brawny forearms and a thick silver wristwatch. The shirt was open at the throat; Anna noticed the cords of muscle in his throat and two fine silver chains that he wore. She was unaccustomed to seeing him wear jewelry, and he’d even added tiny silver hoops in his ears. He has nice ears, she mused. She reached out playfully and tweaked one.

“Hey!” he protested, but his lips twisted into a grin.

“Couldn’t help it, yer just soooo cuuuuuute,” she cooed. He leaned against the bar, arms folded as they waited for the server to notice them. The crowd pressed around them, nudging closer together. Anna was so close to him that he felt her breast brush against him, and it made the hairs on his neck stand on end. She wasn’t finished with him.

He suppressed a shiver when she reached up and caressed his smooth scalp. He’d abandoned his fade haircut and decided to shave it off, and the difference was striking. Her touch made his body react fiercely, every nerve and muscle going on high alert. Her skin was silky. Anna trailed her fingertips down the contour of his cheek, the angle of his jaw, and she traced the edge of his tattoo.

“Why so serious?” she said. Her gaze was intent.

“Huh?” He recovered himself and said “Are you thirsty?” She nodded easily.

“Tequila shooter.” His raised his brows.

“Help,” he muttered. Her laugh rocked him.

“Lighten up.” She beckoned to the bartender who was diligently looking at her cleavage framed by the low halter neckline of her dress. “Cuervo shots. Prepare ta keep ‘em coming.”

Lucas followed her lead, licking up a dab of salt from the back of his large hand, even though he felt silly. He watched her slap the bar and toss back the shot in one gulp.

He wished he hadn’t, himself, when the clear poison corroded every ounce of his flesh that it touched.

“Holy…! Oh, God,” he gasped, slamming the shot back down on the counter. Anna burst into giggles and handed him a wedge of lime from a nearby garnish tray.

“C’mon, take it easy, Luke, suck it! You heard me!”

“What?” he yelled over the din.

“SUCK IT, LUKE!” She reached up and pushed the bit of lime into his mouth. The gesture shocked him, and his lips pursed briefly around her finger, sampling her skin.

She withdrew her hand sharply; he could tell she was affected, too, as her grin faded to a look of quiet awe. Her fingers trembled as she reached for her own wedge and bit down on it, draining it of its juice. His coffee brown eyes bore into hers. Suddenly she felt naked.

The tequila gave him a warm glow that rippled in his belly and through his limbs, making him euphoric.

“Ya ain’t much of a drinker?”

“I’ve always had to stay clearheaded. Not much time for this kind of thing.”

“Make time, Luke. Enjoy it. Set us up,” she called to the bartender, waving a twenty at him.

Despite a snack at a nearby beachside café before they came, the alcohol was going to their heads. Anna told him one bawdy joke after another. The normally reserved soldier and peace officer’s cool reserve cracked. He facepalmed in an attempt to smother his laughter, but it was futile.

“…so then the third nun said “I wanna gargle in it before those two wash their butts in it!”

“Good Lord,” Luke snickered helplessly as he reached for his next shot.

“Hey, Luke?”

“Hmm?”

“Ya wanna finish that drink and go dance?”

“Um…”

“What?”

“I don’t…really dance.”

“Sure ya do.”

“I’m not all that experienced-“

“That don’t mean ya don’t dance. C’mon, hurry up and chug it so we can get down ta business.” Before he could protest, she took his hand and licked the back of his thick knuckles. He sucked in a breath and felt his slacks grow uncomfortably tight. Lucas was rock hard, and Anna wasn’t paying attention to the change that settled over his features as she liberally sprinkled him with salt.

“Here, go ‘head and lick, already!” He shook his head.

“Uh-uh.”

“Whaddya mean, ‘uh-uh?’”

“You do it.” His voice was a low, dark rumble. He reached for the shot with his free hand. Her touch burned him. His large hand dwarfed the shot glass; condensed moisture sweated from it and made the liquid resemble crystal in the flashing lights. “Here.”

Arousal fierce and sharp gripped her, making her stomach flutter. Anna felt her nipples ruche and stiffen beneath the flimsy cotton knit of her dress. She cleared her throat and her tongue darted out to moisten her full lips, glossed in pink and driving him crazy.

Without letting her eyes leave his, she dipped her mouth to his hand and lapped up the salt, flattening her tongue against him and tasting his skin. His gasp was choppy. The bulge between his legs throbbed almost painfully when she wrapped her hand around his and let him guide the shot to her lips.

He watched her throat work the liquid down and she licked the last droplet of it from her lips. Together they set the glass back on the counter. Lucas calmly plucked a tidbit of lime from the tray.

“Don’t forget this.”

“Thanks, baby.” He held it out between finger and thumb. Her lips closed around them and sucked the fruit into her mouth. She finished it and tossed the limp rind into the empty glass.

“Let’s shake a tailfeather.”

“If you say so.” She was already yanking him after her, tucking his hand into a surprisingly strong grip.

“I wanna see you move.” She guided him easily through the crowd, which seemed to part as they watched the sexy girl in the killer green dress have her way with the strapping man who came with her.

So Lucas moved.

They were swallowed up by the patrons around them, buffeted by chests, hips and limbs. Anna’s body arched and swayed; he watched rapt as each muscle rippled and isolated in perfect rhythm. He always considered her graceful, but Lucas never knew she could dance.

If there was one thing Lucas Bishop had learned, it was how to blend into a crowd out of necessity. His body began to move, finding the rhythm of the music throbbing around them. Laser strings of colored light flickered over the crowd, licking over him and illuminating his dark skin.

Anna laid her hand on him, sliding it up his chest and cupping his shoulder. Her smile enveloped him and drew him in until she was flush against his chest. His arm looped around her waist and held her close without his permission and their bodies began to move in sync.

He could blame the alcohol. He didn’t want to.

This wasn’t the Lucas she knew, yet he was.

His body felt hot and rock-hard, its planes fitted against her curves so easily and smoothly she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. Her creamy skin contrasted against his chocolatey tone, creating a striking picture as they danced, caught up in the moment and each other.

Friends could dance…couldn’t they?

She’d never found him as intimidating as everyone else did, despite the hard, and occasionally haunted look in his eyes and the stiff way he carried himself. Lucas was all business, no play, one of the reasons she felt made him gravitate toward Sage, and even toward Ororo during their acquaintance. Lucas felt strongly about some things, but passionately about none. Or so she thought.

She’d baited him, heckled him, even. Anna loved to get a rise out of him because he made it so difficult, and she loved a challenge. He was such a contradiction to Remy, both men’s personalities complementing each other as they forged an unlikely friendship.

He’d never expected him to take her seriously. She’d never cared whether he did or not.

Until now.

Lucas’ hands caressed her back firmly, molding to its slope where it joined her ripe ass. They grooved, and his hands guided her hips to work themselves against him as he moved. She followed where he led this time, her cavalier grip on his shoulders turning into an embrace as her arms slid around his neck. She felt the pulse in his neck against her temple and smelled his sweat mingling with his spicy cologne.

The spell was broken when a drunken girl behind them tripped and stumbled into them. Anna looked up into Lucas’ face, eyes wide with surprise at how tightly they held each other. She stared at his mouth and cleared her throat.

“It’s gettin’ kinda close in here, Luke, ya wanna skedaddle?”

“Sure. It’s…a little warm.” They bantered their way out into the parking lot, this time keeping a gap between them as he unlocked her Jeep. They drove home in near silence, Anna only asking him which radio station he favored. She let the windows down to let the crisp sea air cool her heated cheeks. She sighed and closed her eyes. Lucas watched her profile and admired how serene she looked.

“Anna?”

“Yeah, Luke?”

“Thank you.” He turned back to the road.

“Yer welcome, sugah.”

Anna keyed her way into the front door; Lucas kept a safe distance behind her, not wanting to dog her heels on the way inside. In the kitchen, Anna didn’t even smell the remnant of Sage’s toast or any other aroma of foods. The house was silent; she’d even taken her laptop upstairs.

“Mah dogs are barkin’ in these,” Anna sighed as she took off her shoes, dangling them by their straps from her fingers. She tossed her purse onto the couch and turned to him. “Ah had a good time tonight, Luke.”

“I’m not going to forget it any time soon, myself. I enjoyed it.” He tucked his hand in his pocket and rubbed his nape as he studied her through hooded eyes.

She approached him slowly and he watched the gentle roll of her hips.

“Then let me thank ya.” Anna cupped his jaw and stood on the balls of her feet, raising her lips to his. He met her halfway, leaning down to brush hers in a light kiss.

Anna drew back in wonder. Her hand trembled as she released him.

“Luke…”

“I’m sorry. God, Anna, I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.”

“It ain’t yer fault. It was me. Ah took too many liberties. Gawd…” Guilt suffused her as she realized what she’d done.

“Let’s do what two adults do when they make a mistake, Anna.” His mask of calm reserve was back, even though his voice was unsteady. “I tell you I’m sorry. We promise this won’t happen again, and we move on.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “Good night.”

“G’night, Lucas.”

Anna padded upstairs as quietly as she could. Sage made no sound from the bedroom adjacent to hers, separated by a bathroom. She wanted to assume she was out like a light, given the late hour, but Sage seemed like the type to sleep with one eye open regardless.

Anna slipped out of her dress, thankful for the cool breeze blowing in through her window now, but she still felt feverish and out of sorts. Her tequila buzz faded and left her moody. She contemplated her stack of CDs and decided she was better off with her MP3 player. She inserted the ear buds and turned it on, flopping onto her queen-sized bed. The thick duvet felt cool and smooth against her bare back.

Unbidden, the memory of Lucas holding her came back. She could still feel his hard chest and the warm skin of his neck pressed against her cheek. Her MP3 pumped a low thrum of techno music into her reverie, and Anna wished she could still see the club lights. Anything to make the best part of her night with him last longer…

Her hands agreed with her. They began to roam over her body, and she gave herself the guilty luxury of pretending they were Lucas’.

How would they feel against her, if he touched her everywhere? Gentle? Firm? Insistent? Slow and thorough? How would his voice sound in the dark, rumbling into her skin, from right above her?

Her fingers drifted down the column of her throat, whisper-soft, and traveled down over her breasts. She stroked them gently, feeling how satiny her skin felt there and how pliant and full they were. Would Lucas like them? Would he call them beautiful like Remy had?

Remy!

Her hands stopped; she folded her arms around herself and shook off the unfaithful thoughts. No.

Remy had waited for her. Through hell and high water, he’d waited for her, loved her. It was Remy’s voice that whispered goodnights into her hair before she drifted off and that rasped good mornings into her mouth at sun-up. He owned her heart.

And finally, he laid claim to her body. She finally enjoyed a relationship with him that was mutually satisfying and physically fulfilling. It was the greatest gift she knew how to give.

But where is he now? asked the voice in the back of her mind, the one who reminded her every day how many chances the Cajun had to satisfy his needs elsewhere, with someone he could touch.

Ororo took him away with her. Anna released the grip she had on herself and swept her hair back from her face, staring up at the ceiling.

She didn’t know if she would hate herself later during that night, but her hands began to roam again. This time, images of Remy came and went, as did the image of Lucas she held in her mind’s eye.

This time Anna didn’t hold back. Her hands returned to her breasts, toying with them. She dampened her fingers in her mouth and rolled her nipples between them, savoring the tingle in her belly and the tightening in her pussy. She clenched those muscles and tugged at her breasts more rhythmically. Her back arched, making the mattress creak ever so slightly, and Anna was afraid Sage would hear…then again, maybe Sage was up to the same mischief, loner that she was. She dismissed it.

It felt naughtier, knowing she could get caught.

She sucked her fingers into her mouth again, making them wetter and enjoying the oral sensation. Her hips arched in time to her hands’ play, rocking off the bed. A low moan escaped her lips…

Downstairs, Lucas stared up at the ceiling. The fan whirred in the background. Nothing seemed to cool him off. He cursed the tequila he’d downed with so much abandon.

He’d taken a cold shower. Read a bit by low lamplight. Watched television on Anna’s tiny spare with the volume turned almost down to zero. Nothing helped. Nothing would help.

Remy was his friend. Anna was his friend. Anna was Remy’s girlfriend. Three good reasons, right there, to say “hands off.” She was off-limits.

Her lips tasted like strawberries.

No. Don’t even go there, man.

Her body was smoking hot. He could still smell the light fragrance of her hair, feel it tickling his lips…

No. No. No. No. Nonono. Remy’s not gonna find your boots under his woman’s bed. Capice?

…was she upstairs in bed thinking about him?

His brooding was interrupted by a sound from upstairs.

Bedsprings?


Upstairs, Anna was fighting for her release, and it felt so good, yet so futile. It wasn’t the same as feeling another heartbeat beneath her palm or being skin to skin, but it would have to suffice.

One hand slid over the slope of her stomach and teased the edge of her bikini briefs. She shuddered in need and anticipation for the main event…

Anna stroked her sex over the satin of her panties, feeling the texture of coarse, springy curls beneath tickling her fingers. She savored the sensation of friction that act created and pleasure swirled in her belly. The mattress creaked again.

Below, Lucas felt his gut clench. He sat up and rubbed his face, trying to focus on anything else.

Anna was awake.

And she was…active.

His cock woke up. Now he’d never get to sleep…he avoided touching it, knowing it would only make it worse.

She was enjoying herself in her empty room, even bereft of his touch. She pretended it was Lucas tugging off her panties and slipping them free of her feet, Lucas’s palm sliding over her warmth and abrading the wiry curls, Lucas’ fingertip, slipping between her folds and feeling the slick wetness inside…

“Aw, Gawd,” she hissed through her teeth. Pressure was building up inside her, making her pussy hot and tight every time she clenched those muscles around her finger. Wet, sucking sounds broke the silence and she caught the hint of her own musk in the air. She thrust a second finger inside and pumped until her wrist cramped, paused, them pumped again, changing her rhythm. Her other hand joined her efforts, rubbing her juices over her clit until it was slippery and tender.

OhGodohGodohGod… Her lips silently synched the words in her head as she drew closer…

The sensations spiraled. Her breasts were covered in a rash of tingles and heat that spread into her womb, and every muscle in her body spasmed in pleasure as she came. Her fingers wrung out as much of her climax as her body allowed, drawing it out.

“Lucas,” she whispered. “Oh, God, Lucas…”

Nearly two minutes later, exhausted, she lay limp atop the duvet. Thinking.

She was thirsty.

Anna fished inside her closet for her favorite dark blue Dodgers jersey and slipped into it, buttoning only the last three. She chucked her MP3 onto the dresser; the ear buds dangled free and were left swinging from the momentum.

He heard her. His dick was hard as a rock, throbbing and painful.

Luke needed to get up and clear his head, and he decided another glass of iced tea would fit the bill. Then he might just sit out on her porch, under the stars, and count them until he grew drowsy.

His feet were silent on the kitchen tile. He wore a pair of black silk boxers that Betsy had given him for Christmas. The gift was extravagant, once he never felt suited him until he tried them on. The feel of the fine cloth against his skin was decadent, but unfortunately, it only amplified his little…affliction.

As if things couldn’t get worse, he heard her coming downstairs!!!

Lucas held his breath as she entered the kitchen. He froze in the act of reaching for the pitcher.

“Luke?”

He swallowed around a lump. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She nodded to the pitcher. “Thirsty?”

I want to kiss you again. “Kinda.”

“Gonna hold the door open til the little penguins inside tell ya ta quit letting out the cold air?”

“Geez…” He was flustered and embarrassed, both feelings that were foreign to him. Lucas set the pitcher down on the counter and backed out of the fridge.

…but not in time for Anna to miss the huge erection tenting his shorts, illuminated by the light inside the refrigerator. He turned to face her as he closed it. It bobbed with the motion and her eyes were instantly riveted on it.

Shit.

Her mouth formed words that had nothing to do with the voice of common sense screaming at her to shut up. “Um…got somethin’ on yer mind?”

All they could do was stare. Anna licked her lips. His libido licked its chops at the sight of her in the jersey, short-sleeves and open at the neck, draping open to expose the hills of her breasts. Her nipples poked out the ribbed fabric, begging his attention. The hem of the shirt just covered her hips. He could once again see her long legs and it was doing dangerous things to his self control.

“You.” One word. It was all he could manage.

“Oh.” She tried and failed not to stare at the bulge in his crotch. It was huge, and so were her eyes.

“You’re staring, too.”

“Yeah.”

“This is awkward.”

“Ta say the least, shoog.”

“Don’t mind me.”

“Yer makin’ it hard.”

“Don’t…say…hard.”

“Oh. Right.”

“What I did was wrong. It wasn’t fair to Remy.”

“Naw. It wasn’t.” She crossed her arms beneath her breasts – that’s not helping, Lucas’ mind screamed – and stared down at her pedicured toes. “But that was mah fault, too.”

“We got caught up. It won’t happen again.”

It won’t? her mind prodded.

He edged past her, and the sparks between them made his cheeks flame.

She caught his wrist. He stiffened.

“Luke?” she murmured.

“What?”

“Ah can’t sleep.”

“Count sheep.” Gently he removed her hand and walked away.

“Not into sheep.” The entendre made him groan and gave him wicked visuals of Anna with livestock. Why did she have to be so sexy? The universe was cruel…

He was still headed toward his room. She followed him; it didn’t occur to him that her voice wasn’t getting further away.

“It’s late.”

“It’s lonely.”

“We need our beauty rest.”

“You’ve had plenty.” Her eyes were hungry when he faced her, and his resolve was almost gone. Her breasts heaved and he nearly felt her pulse racing, even standing across the room, keeping time with his…

“Luke,” she told him, “Ah’m wide awake. Somethin’ started tonight that won’t let me go, won’t let me sleep, and won’t stop mah mind from wanderin’ where it supposed ta go. Ah can’t just go upstairs ta bed and expect ta sleep when Ah can’t get dancin’ with you and kissin’ you outta mah mind. Ah can still feel you. Ah can still taste you. Ah got mahself off thinkin’ about ya before Ah came downstairs, and Ah want a second round of the real thing.”

“Remy…” he argued, but his voice died.

“Ah love him. Ah can’t lie that Ah love him. But he ain’t here, and Ah don’t know when, or even if he’s comin’ back, no matter how much Ah fool mahself. Ah’ve only been with one man. Thought Ah’d never wanna be with another man once Ah found the of mah life, but Ah wouldn’t feel this way, how Ah feel when Ah look at you, if it wasn’t supposed ta happen.”

“If what wasn’t supposed to happen?”

“Bein’ with you. You makin’ love ta me.”

“You’re in love with my friend.” He turned away from her so she couldn’t see the emotions on his face. He pulled down the covers on the bed. “Go back to bed, Anna.”

“So that’s a no?” Part of her, the sensible part of her was relieved. Her body clamored for him.

He sat down and leaned his elbows over his knees. “I can’t make love to you when we don’t love each other. I care about you, Anna…”

She was quick, quicker than he expected. She crossed the room in swift strides and pressed her fingers over his mouth.

“Then don’t make love ta me, sugah.” Her next words socked him in the gut. “Fuck me.”

“Mmmrmph?” he muttered. His brows flew up almost comically, but she wasn’t in the mood to joke.

“Ah need ta get this outta mah system. You’re here, and that,” she nodded to his erection, “is too damned good ta waste.” She knelt before him, insinuating herself between his knees. His arms opened slightly and made room for her, fingers grazing the soft fabric of her jersey. “Yer a sexy man, Luke. Felt good tonight at the club, and it feels good now.” She leaned in and let her lips brush the sensitive skin of his throat. He suppressed what sounded like a whimper. His cock strained toward her, she was so close.

“Ah want you ta fuck me. Long and hard, and take yer sweet time, shoog.”

He released a pent-up breath and moaned against her fingers, closing his eyes as she bathed his neck, lapping up the taste of him. His lips opened slightly and he nibbled her fingertips, barely scraping them with his teeth; he sucked them inside, drawing on them like a popsicle.

“Gawd…Luke…” Her eyes went hazy with desire before his arms jerked her against him. He buried his fingers in her hair, leaned her head back and crushed her mouth beneath his. The kiss became a heated, frenzied struggle between them to experience and taste each other fully, missing nothing. His velvety tongue teased the inner seam of her lips before slipping inside. It stroked hers, searching the hot confines of her mouth, and she sighed in approval.

“Anna,” he rumbled over her lips, “I want you.”

“Then take me.” Her hair sifted through his fingers as he trailed hot kisses over her face, forehead, eyelids, the gentle slope of her pert nose, her feverish cheeks, then back to her full, ripe mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her.

Sex. She’d lived without it so long; her body craved whatever opportunities that presented themselves to make up for lost time, but she’d relied on Remy to fill that void. Always.

His hands felt ten times better than she imagined as they roamed over her body, groping her ass and squeezing it over the shirt. She felt a slight draft when he flipped up the hem and stroked her bare skin, testing its heft and roundness in his palm.

“Sexy,” he murmured into her hair as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth. “Beautiful. You’re making me so damned hot.”

“Don’t stop, Luke.” Her breath shuddered out and caught as his fingers traced her delicate flesh, exploring the line of her back.

Lucas’ chest was smooth and hard beneath her palm. She cupped his cheek and slanted her mouth against his, again and again, growing lost in his kisses and the heat building between them. She flicked his flat, hard little nipple with her fingertip, feeling it bead more tightly. His torso was taut and rippled with muscle, trembling with each touch as she caressed him.

He pulled her to her feet and stared reverently at her. Her breasts loomed just above him. He deftly undid the buttons of her shirt, opening it like a present.

They were gorgeous, creamy, large, high and round. Her nipples were stiff, ruched pearls, and he gathered her close to take one in his mouth. He groaned at the deliciousness of her flesh as he suckled it hungrily, continuing to grope her. Her moans were strangled and desperate, she had to have more of his mouth on her, more of his hands…

He kneaded and tugged at the other breast while his other hand teased the cleft of her ass. Her buttocks clenched and she clutched his head, wanting to guide him to suckle her harder, enjoying the smoothness of his scalp.

He released her breast and skimmed his palm over her body and scooped it between her legs, rubbing the mound of her sex in long, slow strokes. His other hand still teased her ass, and his finger rubbed her anus, tracing the edges of the tiny, snug hole before the tip probed its way inside.

“Ahhh! Luke!” Feeling him stimulate her in all three zones at once nearly threw her over the edge, but she knew she’d enjoy the ride.

She wanted him to fill her; instead he teased her. While he occupied her tiny hole, he entered her soft folds, already slippery from the way she worked on herself upstairs. He withdrew his hand long enough to sample the taste from his fingers. He groaned in pleasure, and it was the hottest sound she’d ever heard. He watched her face while he returned his hand to its snug nest. Both his hands thrust in concert while he suckled her. It was heady but not enough. Her shirt slid down her shoulders, leaving him an unimpeded view of the rest of her body.

“I’m going to make you come so hard,” he promised, “and then I’m going to make you come again. Do you want that?”

“Yes.” She could barely form the response.

“All night. One night, Anna.”

“Please.”

“You taste so good.”

Before she could reach her peak, he disengaged himself and pulled her down to him again. She took his silent cue and knelt again, this time reaching for his waistband. His cock was straining, so she freed it, letting it jut through the flap of his boxers. At the first touch of her hands he exclaimed, “Anna!”

She tugged him free, cupping his balls in her palm and stroking the hairy flesh with her thumb. His length overflowed the length of her fist easily, generous and thick, much more than adequate. The contrast between her white fist and his dark flesh was striking and erotic in the dark as she lowered her mouth to him, engulfing the swollen head. She lapped up the drop of precum glistening in the tiny crease.

“Tastes good, Luke.” She hummed into his flesh in pleasure. He strained and bucked, leaning back onto the mattress against his hands. His arms didn’t want to support him. Luke tangled his fingers in her long auburn hair again and just let her work, following the bob of her head as she took him deeper inside.

She rode his dick with her mouth and consumed him, not holding anything back. His legs were spread wide, giving her room and creating a nook for her smooth, sexy body. He rubbed her back with his heel, unable to help the feelings rushing through him, still needing to touch her. She grew wetter and tighter inside the more she sucked him off. Hearing how worked up he grew was turning her on. She wanted him. All of him.

Once again he pulled her up from kneeling and let her tumble him back onto the bed. Skin on skin was an incredible experience that they couldn’t deny themselves as he slid her on top of him, kissing her wildly, desperately. He embraced her so tightly she grew dizzy but she knew she was in his capable hands, that he would do anything to please her.

Her hips rocked over him wantonly, letting his stiff head buffet her tender clit, then slide through her slick lips. She pumped him this way, gaining momentum and speeding herself toward another orgasm.

“What’re you doing to me, girl,” he pleaded.

“Makin’ ya want me as much as Ah want you.”

“Don’t. I need this. Need you now.” He stopped her hips, gripped them in his large hands and thrust her down upon himself, impaling her. His thick cock was sheathed in her, filling and stretching her. It ached but felt so right that she couldn’t help moving over him, beginning to pump him, to ride him like she’d promised.

It was good. So good.

Her breasts jiggled and bounced. He teased them as she worked on him and occasionally rubbed her clit, loving the desperate sounds she made.

She was where he wanted her to be, sliding up and down on his hardness, stroking and milking him, doing it so right. He was coming undone, but Lucas gripped her hips and began thrusting her even faster over himself, harder, while his hips pistoned from beneath. He drove himself into her, meeting her thrusts, and her answering smile turned into an “O” of delight and surprise. His cock began weeping slowly inside her, relieved to be where it belonged, treated so well by her walls clenching around him, stroking him, sucking at his flesh…

She felt him jerk, five or six quick, sharp spasms before his dick stiffened and cramped inside her. He came, eyes snapping open and staring at her in shock. His body rippled and his cock pounded into her with the momentum, triggering her own fulfillment.

Their voices mingled in low curses and cries. Once she collapsed in his arms, each time either of them moved, a spare frisson of their earlier orgasm would make them twitch. She squeezed him convulsive within her depths; his arms were wrapped around her so tightly she thought she’d snap in half.

His caresses were tender and Lucas smoothed her hair back from her face. She felt his lips on her forehead as she traced the line of his pecs with her fingertip.

“Thinkin’ about this was gonna keep me up damned night,” she admitted. “Wow.”

“Wanna go again?”

“When Ah can feel mah legs.”

“Anna?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“I make love. I don’t fuck.” She peered up at him.

“Luke…Ah didn’t mean it that way…”

“I know. Anna,” he began as he situated her to let her lean up on her elbows. He stroked her cheek, letting his thumb skim the edge of her plump lip. “I know you’re in love with Remy…but when you look back at what happened tonight, we got carried away. We made love. And I never had a better night in my life than I did here with you.”

“Feelin’s mutual, sugah.” She kissed him gently, then again, more deeply. Tenderly he rolled her to her back and began all over again. When they awoke tangled together the next morning, the house was empty; Sage left them a note on the refrigerator that she’d gone to the beach.

FIN.