Title: Confessions… the twenty-fifth

Fandom: General Hospital

Characters: Luke and Tracy Quartermaine Spencer

Rating: R

Summary: Gambling vignette

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

She couldn't believe the butterflies in her stomach. She had faced tough business competition being more serene than she was currently. She could feel his eyes boring into her as she watched the numbers. The red and black moved by so quickly she couldn't see where ball was heading. Did she want black or did she want red? Did she want the emptiness to continue or did she have the guts to risk it all? In the next few moments she could be handed her hearts desire or know more desolation than she had ever experienced.

Red or black...

What possessed her she would never know, but the words "risk it all" kept haunting her. She had never risked it all. Not on Larry, although she had risked a lot. Not on Mitch. Not on Paul. Certainly not on Gino or any of those in between. She had always kept part of herself separate, aloof.... safe. What was it about this man that made the safe untenable and allowed her to find security in the leap of faith? Without really thinking it through she moved all the chips on to her number 6. She had lied to herself – she had been risking it all for months, years in fact. She risked everything for him including her self respect, and she had come close to losing it all too. And yet.... and yet here they stood. Her scared to death and him... what was he feeling? Was he scared too?

Red or black...

Suddenly everything was in slow motion. Nothing moved normally and the ball bounced between numbers much like Armstrong had bounced on the moon. Her heart caught in her throat as she saw the ball hover around 21. This was it, it was almost over. Would he really leave? Had she pushed him too far? The ball was coming to rest on red and she could feel her knees about to buckle. She couldn't watch and yet she couldn't turn away. Around the wheel continued to spin, but as it slowed down the ball rolled just a little and moved into the next number. Her jaw hung open from the surprise of it all.

Red or black...... black..... black 6...

She couldn't breathe as she looked at him and tried to comprehend what had just happened. He knew though. He knew as he brought her hand to his lips. He knew he wasn't leaving and neither was she. Gently he kissed her knuckles and the naked finger where her wedding band should be. She could feel the burn as his lips touched her. Steadily he pulled himself into her but she had to look away – the emotions were too raw. This was risking everything.

Luke set fires ablaze as he kissed her temple then her ear then her cheek and finally started to nibble at her jaw. The inferno overwhelmed her and she had to have him completely. Turning to kiss him, she took them both by surprise by the passion she poured over him. He couldn't pull her close enough as they tried to devour each other, neither knowing where they began and the other ended and quite frankly, not caring in the least. This had been coming for month, this passion that consumed everything around them. An astronomer might speak in terms of black holes and super novas, but to them it was merely the energy they created when they came together.

Luke quickly maneuvered her against the Roulette table with the intention of lifting her, and reached behind her to knock the chips out of the way. The crash brought Tracy slightly to her senses and she started to laugh.

"You just wiped away everything I risked Luke."

"Doesn't matter, Baby, you won the house" he said as he kissed her again.

Pulling back he smiled at her as he placed his hands on her hips and got ready to lift. Tracy put her hand on his arm, not believing she was about to stop him. Puzzled he looked at her but she just smiled into his eyes.

"My back".

"I'm going for spontaneous here, work with me. Okay, this is too hard... the the piano bar..."

"That will do" she interrupted then pulled him down to join her again, this time each felt the curl of smiling lips on the other. No, this wasn't the senior prom, this was the way life should be.

Moving her backwards towards the piano bar, Luke never let go of her waist nor did his lips leave hers. He had been hungry for those lips all year and the few short times he had been able to claim them hadn't satisfied. As the couchins rubbed the side of his leg he eased her down and moved on top of her, careful not to crush her.

It took them no time to remove their clothing, so practiced were they at seizing every opportunity. Even the chill of the night bore no consequence as their skin began to glisten in the dim lights around them. Slowly Luke pulled away from her face and began moving downwards over her chin, down her throat and further down to the valley below her breasts. Reaching behind her neck he unclasped her necklace and dropped it quietly on top of the clothing beside them, then he cupped both breasts and brought them closer to his nose. Tracy thought it an act of pure erotica as he breathed her smell deeply, holding her firmly in his hands. Every sense was heightened for both of them and simply smelling the other had furthered the arousal.

As he continued to breathe her in, his thumbs found her nipples and began slowly caressing them to hardened peaks. Tracy rubbed his thigh with her leg as she shuddered under the intimate touch. His rumbling chuckle against her breast bone brought a laugh to her own lips and then a gasp as he firmly grabbed one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked it deeply. The fires he's continue to create along her face and chest sprung to life in the tingle in her mound and she clasped him firmly with her legs.

Luke felt her moisture against his thigh and knew he couldn't stand it any longer. They could play with each other later but he had to be home in her, and so with one thrust he pushed into her up to the hilt and then held steady as she became accustomed to him again. Her smile was all he needed to start thrusting.

In and out he moved as her ring tightened around him. Their breathing, which had been shallow to begin with, came in pants. Tilting her hips upward to give him further depth, she embraced him and started nipping the cord protruding from his neck. Tracy couldn't pull him close enough as her breasts squashed between them. Luke felt the need for complete connection as well and tightened his arms around her. Again he found her mouth and began sucking on her lower lip in rhythm with his hips.

Tracy gave in completely to the sensation as bright lights began to explode behind her eyelids. The power of their shared passion sent her to that peak she desired and then beyond as every pore of her body became inflamed. Within seconds he was roaring out his climax against her temple.

All too quickly they came back to their senses and tried to regulate their breathing. When the pounding in his chest subsided Luke again looked into the eyes of the woman he adored and kissed her gently. He never wanted to leave her again, and he didn't want to have to beg his way back into her bed. No matter what he did he had to ensure she knew everything was worth the risk and the trust Tracy had shown in them that evening.

As he moved himself downwards on the narrow bench so he wouldn't crush her, he planted tiny kisses between her breasts, a feathery lick on each nipple, then ringed her navel before finally settingly his head on her stomach. He loved looking up at her breasts from that angle and traced a finger over the underside of her breast and along the crease where breast met chest. He could feel her sighing contentedly under his ear and felt her playing with his hair.

"You know your father wanted me to get down on my knees with roses and diamonds."

"My father? And was he going to pay for it?"

"Humph, not likely. He just said that worked with Lila, so he figured it would work with Lila's daughter" he said as he stroked his knuckles up her leg.

Tracy was surprised. Never before had she ever heard anyone besides Luke compare her to her mother.

"He said that?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, Spanky. Under that thick hide of his I think he really wants you to be happy – even if it's with the reprobate."

Smiling to herself she continued combing her fingers through his hair.

"And what about that reprobate, did he rig all of this? I can't imagine I won fairly."

Luke rolled his head slightly to kiss her stomach and sighed.

"One of these days you're going to have to take me at my word, Spanky Buns."

"I'll think about it, now was this whole thing rigged? You're still not answering me."

"How could I possibly rig it – you chose the numbers and we both waited to see what it would be."

"And what if we lost?"

"Then, my Lusciously Lickable Lollipop, I would have said it's the best two out of three." Luke replied, tickling just above her curls.

"Best two out of three, eh? Guess we should see what else you've got" Tracy said as stroked her leg slowly over his bare hip.

"Oh Baby....."