---

Getting through the rest of her shift was harder than Chelsea thought it would be, but after finally declaring her love for Lucas and even better, having him declare his feelings for her, all she wanted to do was put her tray down, throw herself into his arms and press her lips to his.

But she had a job to do, and a night to get through, which she did while Lucas enjoyed his evening with her family. She didn’t bother getting into the details with her brothers, but Milena pulled her aside and outright asked.

Her brother’s girlfriend squealed when she told her that she was in love with Lucas and no doubt she relayed the message to the rest of the table. Not that Chelsea cared—not really. It would be easier if she didn’t have to replay the whole story to her family separately.

Finally, Samantha called last call and the Halloween party started to wind down. People bundled up and the stragglers were all kicked out. All but one. Lucas sat at the bar, sipping a glass of water while Chelsea finished up with her duties.

“I like watching you work. It’s sexy.”

She laughed and blushed like a schoolgirl. “Cut it out.”

“I do.”

“That’s silly. I’m putting dishes in the dishwasher. There’s nothing sexy about it.”

He tilted his head and winked. “Everything you do is sexy.”

She tossed a dishtowel at him but was secretly pleased. He’d always flirted, of course, but this was different. Something had shifted between them in the few short hours since they’d declared their love for each other. The air between them was more charged somehow, full of potential and promise and Chelsea couldn’t wait to finish up and get him alone.

As if she’d read Chelsea’s mind, Samantha appeared out of the kitchen. “Go home,” she said to Chelsea. “We can finish this up in the morning. It’s been a late night. Besides…” Sam tipped her head to Lucas, who raised his glass of water with a smile. “Go.”

Normally, Chelsea would protest, at least a little. But more than anything, she wanted to take Lucas and get him alone. And that’s exactly what she did.

Because she was sharing a house with Ian and Gwen, Lucas took her back to the little bungalow he was renting downtown. It was generally used as a summer rental house, but Chelsea didn’t care about the sparse furnishings, because she only had eyes for the handsome man in front of her.

Before he could even get the door closed behind them, she stood on her tippy toes and kissed him. They’d kissed before, but this time it was full of passion, promise, and love.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”

Lucas’s lips twitched up in a smile. “That’s not all I’ve been wanting to do all night.”

“Oh yeah? And what have you been wanting to do all night?” She started to walk away, wiggling her hips as she went. Lucas caught her hand and spun her around again and right into his arms.

He kissed her hard, his tongue seeking and searching in her mouth. His hands were all over her, holding her and touching her and setting her body on fire in ways she didn’t know were possible.

“That.” He pulled away, but didn’t release his grasp on her. “And this.” Lucas bent his mouth to her neck and left a trail of kisses on the sensitive skin until he got to the edge of her blouse. Her breath came in short pants as he traced his fingers along the edge of the cotton. Dancing just a little with her bare skin.

“Um, I like that.” She could think of a few things she’d like even more. Like getting rid of the ridiculous costume that stood between her and his touch on her bare skin.

“Oh, baby, I’m just getting started.” He bent and lifted her easily under the legs, scooping her into his arms. “But I need you in my bed where I can do it right.”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. Now that she’d started, she never wanted to stop. He tasted of the outdoors, with a trace of beer and something else, something so delicious she was sure she could get drunk just with the taste of him.

Lucas dropped her on the bed and she bounced a little as she scooted backward. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting to have you in my bed.”

“And now that you have me here…”

“Oh baby…” He shook his head and grinned as his fingers moved to the buttons of his flannel shirt. “I’m not sure I’ll ever let you leave.”

“Is that a promise?” Her eyes were fixed on the bare skin that started to appear under the shirt as he slowly unfastened each button. She licked her lips in anticipation of seeing the hard, flat chest she knew was underneath. Chelsea had felt it through the fabric when they hugged, but there was no doubt that seeing Lucas’s body was going to be something different altogether. “Do you need me to do that?” she asked when he paused, his fingers lifting the suspenders he wore. “Because if you need a little help…”

“Impatient, are we?”

She flipped around so she was on her knees in front of him. “You have no idea.” Her hands covered his on the suspenders and she guided them down and off his arms. She went next to his bare chest, where she spread her fingers on his smooth skin, over the hard ridges of his muscles.

Chelsea closed her eyes and must have groaned, because Lucas chuckled. Her eyes snapped open and she winked before she pressed a kiss on his abdomen. He shivered beneath her touch so she did it again, and then again, moving farther south as she did.

Before she got to the waistband on his jeans, his hands locked on her shoulders and lifted her up again in front of him.

“You look…too fucking innocent for what I’m about to do.” He shook his head, and Chelsea remembered she was still wearing her blonde wig and her Alice in Wonderland skirt and apron billowed out over her knees.

“I assure you, I’m not.” She slipped off the bed and unfastened the apron, letting it drop to the floor before she lifted the dress over her head. Last to go was the wig, which she tossed on top of the pile. She took a moment to shake her hair out before she looked up at him.

She was wearing only her bra and panties and the thigh-high stockings that were part of her costume, but it was all her standing in front of him. Bare and exposed, and completely vulnerable to him.

He took a step toward her, shrugging out of his flannel shirt as he did. “You are simply beautiful.”

Her hands rose automatically to her hair to straighten it, but she stopped herself because not only could she hear his words, she could feel it.

“I could look at you all night.”

She took a step toward him and crooked her finger, beckoning to him. “You better not, because I can think of a lot of better ways to spend the rest of the night.”

---

---

He couldn’t argue with that. As much as Lucas enjoyed looking at Chelsea, he enjoyed kissing her even more. And hell, he couldn’t even imagine how much he was going to like being inside her.

She was sexy as hell in her Alice in Wonderland costume but without it, in only her bra and panties, she was downright delicious.

And he needed to taste her.

For the second time that night, he lifted her and deposited her on the bed. Only this time he quickly shed himself of his jeans and boxer briefs and crawled up over her.

Her eyes dipped below his waist and grew wide with the sight of him wanting her. Needing her. His desire had been building for months. From the moment he’d met her earlier that summer, he’d been waiting for this. Now that it was here, he wanted it all. Wanted to taste her, feel her, be inside her.

“If you don’t kiss me soon, I’m going to start asking questions.” She laughed nervously beneath him.

“Oh baby, there’s no need for questions.” His mouth meted onto hers, silencing any questions she might have. Kissing her was everything, even more so now that he knew exactly how she felt about him. And also, how he felt about her.

Never had Lucas loved a woman. Not like he loved Chelsea.

He could kiss her all night, but there was more of her to discover. His kisses trailed down her neck, and she arched her back up into him as his mouth took first one nipple and then the other into his mouth.

Her breasts filled his hands perfectly, as if they were made for his touch. Chelsea moaned her agreement as he teased each nipple before moving on, down her body.

“Lucas...please... I need...”

“Mmm,” was his only response as he reached her blue silk panties and tugged them down. Her musky, sweet scent filled his senses and his ache to be inside her grew. Patience. He forced himself to move slow as he gently spread her legs and pressed his lips to the inside of her thigh.

The sound that came out of her mouth was music to his ears, and urged him on. Lightly, his tongue lapped at her delicious nectar. She moaned and squirmed around him. Her hands laced through his hair and encouraged his efforts.

It wasn’t long before he felt the gentle tremble in her body; he gripped her thighs, and they tensed under his hands as her first orgasm shattered through her. She arched her back hard and came with a long, low groan.

When he was sure she was finished, Lucas once more crawled up over her, pausing long enough to grab a condom from the side table. He quickly sheathed himself and was hovering over her, gazing down at her gorgeous face when her eyes flickered open.

“Oh my…ummm.” She reached for him and kissed him, soft and sensual. “That was…”

“Oh baby, I’m not done with you yet.”

She grinned wickedly. “You better not be.” Her arms locked around his neck and she tugged him down to her.

Lucas didn’t need any further invitation. He pressed himself against her wet, hot core. Her hips bucked up to meet him and with a solid thrust, he was seated deep inside her heat.

He forced himself to still, letting him take a moment to enjoy the sensation of being inside her. But then she wrapped her legs around him and he drove back into her. Deeper this time, causing both of them to moan together.

He found her hands and dragged them up over her head, where he held them in one hand. His other held her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. He needed her to see him. Really see him.

“You feel so damn good, Chels.” It was a massive understatement, but the look on her face told him that she knew exactly what he meant. She felt like home, like everything up until that moment had prepared them for this and for everything that was to come.

He set a rhythm and soon they were both groaning and he knew he wouldn’t be able to last long. She felt too good. But it was okay because they had the rest of the night. Hell, they had the rest of their lives.

The thought slammed into him and threw him off-balance. He’d never thought about forever with someone before. And although it surprised him, it didn’t scare him. It felt exactly right. He didn’t know how it was going to happen, or even what tomorrow would bring, but he didn’t care because the one thing he did know was that from that moment, his tomorrow included Chelsea, and that’s all that mattered.

“Lucas…I…”

He loved that she couldn’t articulate a thought, but he knew exactly what she was trying to say because he could feel the deep heat building within him as well.

He quickened his pace a little. Her legs squeezed tighter around him, her back arched up and her breasts pushed up as her second climax ripped through her.

Lucas watched the storm play in her eyes, and when she was riding the final waves, he finally let himself go as well, taking his own shattering release before collapsing onto the bed next to her and pulling her soft, sexy body into his arms.