Thank you to the lovely people who've been reviewing. Three reviews for the last chapter alone, I'm so 'tickled'. This has been a difficult chapter to write trying to get the right tone and balance between the two. I hope I did them justice.

Thanks to you who favorite and/or alert as well. Please keep letting me know your thoughts and opinions: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's the only way I know what you like and can get better. I do not own any of the established characters only Haydence and my plot (as always).

Waking from a blissfully dreamless sleep, Lucas realized that he and Hayd had reversed positions during the night. His heart sighed. It felt like she was always meant to be there. This is what he missed with Elizabeta. This is what he never had with Sarah.

His body now curved itself around her back. His arm now draped over her side. His hand. . . Seconds passed before Lucas realized he was gently cupping her left breast. Shite. He had promised himself when she led him to bed the night before that he'd be the perfect gentleman. Now, Haydence would wake up and accuse him of taking advantage of her.

Determined to salvage his integrity and Hayd's dignity, Lucas tried to remove his hand from her body, but Haydence's arm clamped down and refused to let him go.

"You don't have to go. It's ok." Hayd's voice was alert, but calm. He wondered how long she'd been awake.

His mouth lightly grazed her ear. "I do actually." Lucas found himself aroused and straining in his boxers. He didn't mean to but in their current position, his arousal was already pushing into Hayd's back.

Hayd turned around to face Lucas. "No. That's ok too."

Looking into her eyes, Lucas felt a serene certainty coming from Hayd that had been absent the day before. But he still wanted to be sure and to reassure Hayd as well. "I won't to go further than you want."

She brought a hand up to stroke his hair. "I know."

Lucas slid closer to her and was enveloped in the scent of clean hair and Hayd's own intoxicating aroma. He took his time tasting and savoring the tenderness of her lips. He wanted to give Haydence every opportunity to stop. This time Hayd warmed up to his touch edging herself closer to him.

Making sure she was ready for him to move lower down her body, Lucas broke contact with her lips and locked onto her eyes which gave him the approval he needed. When he finally opened her robe, Hayd's large nipples were already in peaks waiting for him. Lucas's breath caught as he took in her beauty. As he slowly suckled on one breast and massaged the other one with his hand, Hayd slowly relinquished her well-guarded control.

As she relaxed and became bolder, Hayd let her hands roam over Lucas's body. Nails lightly running their way down his back made Lucas's nerve endings come alive. When they reached under his boxers to graze his bottom, he gasped.

Moving his hand down caressing her stomach and side, a surprising squeal sounded from Hayd. Lucas stopped to assess her. When he saw Haydence try to suppress a grin, he understood.

"Are we ticklish?" His voice was slightly darker than his normal tone.

"No. Absolutely not." Hayd's crisp answer was given a little too quickly.

"I think we are." With that Lucas repeated his touches gauging Hayd's responses. Working her up into an uncontrollable laughter, Hayd's only answer to Lucas's tickle torture was to cling to him more. When he stopped and let Hayd come down from her tickle high, she had a determined look on her face.

"Alright, two can play at that game." She discarded her robe completely to free up her movements and disappeared under the duvet.

The next thing Lucas felt was Hayd's nails playfully scraping the underside of his knees. Ensuring that Lucas laughed just as much as she did, Hayd finally moved up his body – her nails feathering the inside of his thigh. Lucas's hips surged forward of their own accord.

"Haydence!" Lucas's voice had turned to a strained whisper.

She released Lucas from his boxers bringing them down his hips and tossing them away from the bed. Barely letting her fingertips trail over his most sensitive flesh, Lucas's breath stopped for a moment. How could something so slight drive him so mad? He wouldn't last long if Hayd continued.

Lifting the duvet away from them, Lucas gently rolled Hayd onto her back and edged them down to the end of the bed. His hand caressed her face. "Are you still ok?"

In answer, Hayd took her hand and brought Lucas's head down for a kiss. He took that as a 'yes'.

Securing his feet on the floor and wrapping her legs around his waist, Lucas positioned himself at her entrance. At the point of no return, he looked to Hayd for approval. In awe of his control, Hayd finally whispered, "Lucas, please."

'Lucas, please.' The same phrase she had uttered the first time she was in his arms. It stirred him then and melted him now. Giving in to what they both needed, Lucas entered her.

Sliding into Haydence was a mixture of warmth, light, and security that transcended other baser feelings. He was so in awe of the brilliance of the moment that he stilled himself and let the sensation wash over him.

Lucas's stillness allowed Hayd to adjust to the fullness of him. When he began to thrust slowly pulling out almost all the way before gently thrusting forward again, she gasped at how each slight movement touched something she hadn't felt in over ten years. His stamina was surprising in one sporting an injury, but the emotion on his face told that he was experiencing the same pleasure that she was.

After what seemed like an eternity, Hayd felt the all too absent pleasure wash over her as she shook and gasped. When she came down, Hayd knew she needed something else. "Lucas. . . more." He stilled for a moment uncertain how to proceed. "I won't break. Promise."

With Hayd's promise, Lucas increased the force coming from his hips, and Hayd moaned holding on tighter. Encouraged by her responses, Lucas finally gave himself up to the need he'd had all the time to be buried as deep inside her as he could. As they both came hard in unison, Lucas tried to muffle both their cries of pleasure in a claiming kiss. They shook and clung to each other riding out the radiant energy they had made together.

The first to recover, Lucas gently moved Haydence to the center of the bed. She was still shaking and did not open her eyes. Lucas began to worry, "Hayd? Haydence? Have I hurt you? I'm so sorry."

She opened her eyes and weakly grinned, "Never apologize for making love. It's been so long, you were so wonderful, I'm just in a bit of shock."

Lucas gathered the duvet up around them both and was easing back into the pillow when there was a knock at the door. Kissing Hayd on the forehead and whispering for her to stay, Lucas found his gun and tied a towel around his waist. Opening the door slightly, Harry stood there holding bagged clothes on hangers in one hand and a brown paper envelope in the other.

"And how is our Mrs. Todd this morning?"

Lucas tried not to give too much away, but could not force the grin from his face, "Absolutely brilliant."