This short dives deeper into the office scene of s8. I have also written two letters in the Conversations of the Heart Journal II. One from Lucas's perspective and the other from Elizabeth's.

The Office

Christopher ran out of Henry's office to holler for help for his father. A small crowd gathered as Faith and Carson rushed in to check on Henry; they requested that Christopher go outside while they attended to his father.

"If anything happens to my father, you're the one I'll blame Bouchard," yelled Christopher. Lucas quickly decided to leave the scene so that Christopher could be calmed by the others. Lucas really didn't need to be blamed as he already blamed himself. He felt that he should have known that Henry's condition was more serious than he was letting on. He thought about the possibility that Henry could die and he would be responsible for a young man losing his father after he had just reconnected with him.

Feeling out of sorts he decided to head to his office to hide out and hopefully sort out his thoughts and rid himself of his brood before Elizabeth arrived for dinner. The hours passed but he still felt the weight pressing on him. He poured himself a drink of his finest scotch and just as he was about to take a sip, he heard a knock on the door and in came his beautiful Elizabeth. Not that she was his, quite yet, but he was ever hopeful that soon she would open her heart to him. He was hers so completely that he couldn't imagine that he could go on without her. His heart would never recover from her loss.

"Henry is going to be fine," she said.

Lucas added the obvious, "I had no idea as to the seriousness of his condition."
After a brief update, Elizabeth asks "do you still want to have dinner?" the tone of her voice tells him she is doubting that he is up to it.

He pauses for a moment before telling her the truth." For once if you will excuse me…." And of course, she does as it is in her very nature to be kind and understanding.

Lucas then circles his desk and leans against it. He sees Elizabeth pat the place next to her on the settee. "Would you care to join me? I could stay… and we could talk for a while."

Care to join her? Doesn't she realize that he wants that more than taking his next breath. But he maintains his composure and replies "that sounds nice."

He slowly heads toward her as she quietly sits there looking at him with those beautiful eyes and that sweet little smile. He looks at the spot and isn't certain that he will be able to fit, at least not with an appropriate distance between them. He lowers himself into the space next to her and cannot help but graze against her sending a jolt that shoots to his core as he sits with his thigh against hers. Lucas is not sure that he can breathe as all the air has left the room as the fire consumes him.

She has felt the heat as well but utters, "Cozy" and they laugh at that, which momentarily relieves the overwhelming feeling that has come over them.

Lucas breathes in her scent as he gazes at her. Her look tells him she desires what could come next. He wants so badly to take her in his arms and taste those lips and feel the warmth of her body against his. He wants for her to know that he is hers alone, body and soul. He is quite certain that at the moment she would counter his passion with equal measure, so he is so very tempted…..

And then she puts her hand shyly in his in a gesture of comfort. He wraps his hand very slowly around hers. It feels so soft and warm in his. Oh yes, she tempts him, but he wants her heart and not a few moments of physical pleasure. He wants her to offer herself to him as his soulmate; to explore what they have together and what he can see as their lifetime.

And then he does something he can hardly believe he is about to do. He leans in close as if I might kiss her, as she is wondering what she should do if he does. But then he finds himself saying, "it is very kind of you to sit here with me, but I think you should go. I want to be patient. I want you to be completely comfortable." And then he waits for her response.

"Thank you for your patience," she says, and he then knows for certain he made the right decision. Had she continued on to say, "but I am ready" he might have believed her as he wanted her so intensely. Just a kiss for now and as hard as that might be to walk away from, he would, as he wants her to be his wife before they consummate their relationship. Lucas has waited his whole life for that special moment, and he is determined to wait as long as he must, because deep down, he knows they are meant to be husband and wife.

But he can't let her leave without a tender moment that lets her know how much he adores her. So, he raises their joined hands and lowers his head and places his lips on her hand. Shivers run up her arm and there is a pause in her breathe and he knows she is yearning as he is. This moment, as his lips touch her skin for the first time, is a prayer and a promise; a prayer that she will give him her heart one day and a promise that he will wait for her.

Elizabeth slowly rises as she is in torment and doesn't trust herself to keep her resolve. Lucas tries to compose himself so he can stand without total embarrassment. While she walks toward the door, he is trying to shake off the excruciating sweet pain he feels.

Once at the door she pauses and turns to face him. He is thinking she may be having second thoughts about leaving and holds his breath. Would he have the strength to resist if she came to him now? What he would give to hold her against him, to have her body molded to his, to feel every curve fit against him. He is torn between telling her to run and hauling her into his arms. But alas the decision is taken away from him as she turns her back and leaves.

Lucas exhales and returns to his office chair and his drink as he thinks to himself, "however, am I going to make it through tonight with my body burning with desire?" But he knows that he has done the right thing for their future, and he is content with his decision.

Elizabeth feels the flush on her cheeks and the desire coursing through her. She grabs a menu she sees just outside the office door and fans herself hopelessly aiming to quench the fire…. She knows it is going to be a long night.

It would be months later that she would come to realize that Lucas hadn't sent her away because it was the gentlemanly thing to do, as much as the only thing for their future. He clearly wanted her heart and was prepared to do anything to protect that eventuality. Thank goodness they found each other on that bridge when both had almost lost hope of finding their destiny. She felt that had they succumbed to the passion there in the office, they would have still ended up man and wife. But it would have been a different journey and she was forever grateful for the long and winding road they took, as the arrival was so much sweeter when she finally opened her heart completely and found her wings.