It was our connection, not just our bodies but more. It was about history, it was about understanding, it was about the fact that we fit together and the fact that everything was just, simply exactly as it should be.

It was right.

When I felt it, it overwhelmed me, shot straight through that opened part of me right to the soft, vulnerable spot I kept guarded and even that felt right.

The tears came to my eyes spilling over silently, falling down my cheeks but I kept moving.

“There it is,” Luke whispered, his voice had gone from husky to hoarse.

“I can’t do this, Luke,” I whispered back.

“You can.”

I pulled my hand from his but only so I could wrap both my arms tight around his shoulders and I kept moving. “I can’t.”

“So you can’t. We’ll do it together. That’s the point, babe.”

I knew that. Now, I knew it.

“You don’t get it,” I told him, still moving.

“Tell me,” he replied softly, his hand sliding up my back making me shiver.

I slid down and stayed down so he completely filled me. I loved the feeling of Luke deep inside me.

I took a moment to memorize it before I said, “This can’t go bad.”

“It won’t go bad.”

“It can’t.”

“Ava –”

“Luke, you have to know, it won’t be like the other guys. If it’s you, it’ll be worse.” My voice went softer, lower, barely a whisper. “If this goes bad, it’ll destroy me.”

His hand stilled on my back and I waited, holding my breath.

The moment of truth.

No man wanted that responsibility. I knew it, I’d seen it time and again.

They liked to be in the chase. Luke didn’t want me actually to belong to him. He wanted to make me belong to him. Once he did, I was like his lamp, easily disposed of. Admitting to him that he had that power over me, I knew would be the ultimate turn off. Guys wanted girls they couldn’t have, so they could win them and then destroy them. Guys didn’t want girls who pined for them, loved them most of their life that was just too easy.

His hand in my hair fisted. “You sayin’ you belong to me?” he asked, his voice had gone from hoarse to gruff.

“No, I’m saying if this doesn’t work out –”

I didn’t finish, he whipped me around so I was on my back, he was on top and he ground his h*ps into me.

Ho-ly shit but that felt good.

“Luke,” I breathed, my voice catching on his name as the slow burn started sprinting.

“Admit it, Ava, you were sayin’ you belonged to me.”

“No.”

He pulled out and slammed back in and started grinding again.

Yes. My brain screamed.

“Do you feel it?” he asked.

I nodded and whispered, “I feel it.”

“Then you belong to me.”

“Luke.”

He pulled out and slammed back in again and my breath hitched as my body jolted.

“Say it,” he demanded.

I held on to my denial. “No.”

He did a repeat of the pull and slam.

“Say it.”

“No!” I shouted, lifted my head, pressed my lips to his and kissed him, sliding my tongue in his mouth.

That’s when it went wild. He didn’t stop between the pull and slams, just kept pounding into me again and again and again and, it must be said, I loved every, single, mind-blowing stroke.

I lifted my legs at the knees, pressing them into his sides as my hands roamed, my nails scratched. I kissed, licked and I may have gotten out-of-control and given him an actual Junior High School love bite at the base of his neck.

With his hands at my ass lifting my h*ps to take his thrusts, I finally got so close, I called his name, ready to finish.

And he stopped.

I’d arched my neck in preparation for cl**ax but my chin jerked down and I stared at him. “Don’t stop!” I shouted.

“Do you belong to me?” he asked.

Even in the throes of pre-orgasm, my mouth dropped open. Then I snapped, “I hate you Lucas Stark!”

I saw his white grin.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “You belong to me.”

Then he started moving again. And he didn’t stop this time.

And he left me believing that regular-position sex definitely had its merits.

* * * * *

We were face-to-face, my hands pressed against his chest, my leg wrapped around his hip, his fingers stroking the back of my thigh.

I had my eyes closed and even though I’d come down from my post-getting what was between us orgasm, my heart hadn’t stopped beating too fast. In fact, it was pounding so hard I was certain Luke could hear it and feel it.

“You scared?” he murmured.

Yep, he could feel it.

“Yes,” I whispered and do not ask me why, I told him the truth.

I was scared. I was scared out of my mind.

“Of me?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered honestly again and I actually started trembling.

He stopped stroking my leg, his fingers slid over my bottom, his arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer to the heat of him.

“Finally,” he muttered, “I’m gettin’ somewhere.”

I was so screwed.

He certainly is getting somewhere and I like where he’s getting! Good Ava said dreamily.

I don’t think your f**k buddies idea is working, Bad Ava told me on a huff.

I ignored Good Ava and Bad Ava and Luke held me tight until the tremors slid away.

Then I called, “Luke?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“What was with the handcuffs?”

His arm got even tighter. “If I had to, I was gonna cuff you to me again.” His head came up and he kissed my shoulder then he settled again and said softly, “I didn’t have to.”

Hell and damnation.

I just kept giving myself away.

Chapter Twenty

Straighter

It had been a long and emotional night so when I woke up, I still felt asleep and thought I was dreaming. Either that or I was in my pretend happy place. Those were my excuses for what I did and I was going with them.

See I woke up before Luke. I woke up happy (yes happy, it was morning, I hadn’t had the chance to put my defenses up yet), warm and post-night of mind-boggling life-altering sex relaxed, curled into his side and the first thing my eyes saw was the wall of his chest. There were a lot of things about Luke I liked (read: pretty much everything), but I liked his chest especially. So, since I liked it so much and I was living a dream, I leaned down and kissed it.