Warning: This chapter is rated PG-13

Chapter 19

He studied her expression still slightly unsure about the timing of allowing their feelings to become physical. In his own heart he knew that making love with Alexis would complete him in more ways than he could ever explain to her. As she gazed into his eyes, her own darkened imperceptibly and he knew instinctively that she was about to give him another truth.

"What?"

He watched her hesitate… her eyes telling him that the truth she held was more intimate and personal to her than the actual physical act of making love. Lifting his hands, he framed her face and willed her to know without words that whatever it was that held her still, he would accept it and love her all the more for her trust in him.

"Tell me, baby. Tell me what makes you hesitate when your eyes and body tell me you want this as much as I do."

Alexis reached up and mirrored his hold on her as she gently held his head between her hands. She pulled him toward her just enough to touch her lips to his briefly before letting go and covering his hands that still held her gently within his grasp. She pulled them down from her face and entwining her fingers with his rested them upon each of her thighs. Her eyes never left his face as she released the fingers of his left hand and reached again to find the strong curve of his jaw with her fingers. Touching him softly; learning the feel of him, her eyes moved from his and watched her fingers trace the outline of his cheek then travel toward the bridge of his nose, slowly down to his chin and then back toward his temple.

Just as he was about to ask again what held her quiet, he felt her fingers find his ear and travel the contours of it, barely touching him as she learned the hills and valleys that created its form. It felt like a ghost of the wind tickling him and the sudden gasp that slipped past his lips sounded like thunder in his ears. How was it that at the age of 40 he never knew his ears were directly connected to the river of passion that forever flowed through the heart of a man? He suddenly felt chilled when her fingers left his face and his body shivered uncontrollably at the loss.

"You have very sensitive ears." She whispered huskily.

"I guess I do." He countered in awe.

"You didn't know?"

"No." He whispered. "Not until you touched me!" His voice now slightly hoarse with her effect on him.

A look of wonder touched her face as she reached up and placed a finger to his lips. He kissed it and watched her eyes flare briefly before closing as she took a steadying breath. When she spoke again… her quiet intense and open words stunned him gently stroking his bruised sense of worth. They fell on him like rain, nourishing and cleansing.

"It's been a long time since I've been loved, Ric. A very long time! What I give to you tonight, I give it freely, unconditionally, and I don't give it lightly. I give it because you found something of worth in me. I want to give you what you have given me. You gave me time and care, patience and support. And you made me see that it was once again okay to open that part of my heart that was so battered and abused that it left me cold inside. You warmed my heart, Ric. And I need you. I need this. I want you to make love to me. I want you to let me take care of that part of you that needs to be comforted and brought to life again."

Her words freed him from his prison of doubt and condemnation. She didn't just bring his heart back to life… she filled it to overflowing and gave him wings to fly. His eyes misted, but they never left her beautiful face. His tears did not shame him… they were hers. They belonged to her because they were the truest form of his love for her.

He began to disentangle himself from her legs that were still wrapped around him, but her hands again stilled him. When he looked back up at her she shook her head no.

"What?"

"I want to stay here."

"But, the floor is hard. I don't want you to get chilled."

"I won't."

He looked at her curiously. His intent was to take her to his bed, but Alexis was clearly telling him no.

"You're going to have to help me out, Alexis. I don't understand."

Taking hold of each of his wrists she pulled his arms around her and then wrapped her own around his waist and pulled him closer. Leaning forward she smiled mischievously as she kissed the curve of his throat where it met his shoulder. Drawing her lips very slowly up the line of his throat she laughed gently as he jumped when her tongue found the cavern of his ear. His laughter followed hers.

"You're going to go for the ears every chance you get from now on, aren't you?"

"Mmm…. Hmmm… Always. When you find a toy, you don't toss it away until your satisfied that you've gotten as much fun out of it as you possibly can." She whispered impishly as she kissed his cheek, lingering a moment before finally straightening to catch his full attention with a look that told him she was ready to explain what she desired of him. "Do you know what I see when I look at you?"

"Tell me."

"I see someone who is my equal. I see a man who is just as learned, just as intelligent and just as competent. That excites me. I think that is what attracted me to you in the first place. So that's how I want us to be this first time. Equal. Just you and I, face to face, nothing to distract our attention but what we can see and feel in each other! I want to see every change of expression on your face and I want to hear every sound. I want to know the moment you begin to fall and I want to fall with you. Together. The way we've been since you walked into my home that morning and turned my life upside down. Will you ride a wave with me, Ric? Will you take a ride with me?"

He didn't answer with words. Taking her face between his hands he leaned close and flicked her bottom lip with his tongue urging her to let him slip inside so he could begin his quest to learn the completeness of her body with touch and taste, sight and sound.

As he delved into the depths of her mouth, the low hum of his pleasure reverberated against the palms of her hands as she clutched his shoulders. And Alexis found she could not resist the pull of the open neck of his robe and her hands slowly found their way under the lapels and slipped inside. She slid her hands up the planes of his chest and surprised herself as her thoughts suddenly compared him to a Greek Achilles as she felt the muscular strength of him beneath her palms as she slowly pushed the silky cover from his shoulders. But before she could satisfy her quest to explore every inch of his chest with fingers that trembled with barely concealed excitement, tickles of pleasure suddenly soared through her body as Ric flicked the roof of her mouth with his tongue sending her reeling. She immediately took on a personal challenge to search for other tantalizing secrets he may be hiding. Alexis was nothing if not generous in returning a favor in kind. She wanted him to feel just as pleasured as she did. She reached up and took his head between her hands and quickly took control of a kiss that was rapidly sending them both toward the need for oxygen.

She delighted him. He felt her shudder when he let his tongue dance softly against the roof of her mouth. There were treasures to find along the path of her body. And Ric wanted to find them all, taste them all, discover ever experience her body had to offer. But, as she took control of his senses he knew his journey across the plains of her body would have to wait momentarily. He was quickly learning that there were rewards in finding hidden treasures. When Alexis decided to take control of a kiss she held nothing back. She would not be satisfied until she found a treasure of her own. There was not a place left in his mouth that she did not ravage by the time she finished her own exploration. When she finally succeeded in finding a hidden treasure, Ric could not control his response. Just as she began to retreat from the depths of his mouth she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and lightly bit the inside of his tender skin. He released a low fervent growl as he felt the fire inside his passion ignite. Their legs were wrapped so closely around each other that he knew she felt it as well.

Releasing him she leaned back and smiled wickedly. "That's two that I've found to your one, Lansing. What's wrong, Harvard didn't teach her boys how to play?"

He laughed at her teasing and added his own

"We Harvard boys were taught that in order to satisfy every passion that a woman holds deep inside it takes time and patience." He hesitated long enough to increase her curiosity then pulled her hips closer to his own and watched her eyes widen in surprise. He chuckled as he completed his own teasing response. "Harvard taught us something else that Yale women could never find in a Yale man."

"And what's that?" She laughed seductively as she rocked against him forcing an unsolicited moan from his lips as his eyes closed tightly in an effort to bring his raging need under control. Finally looking up once he was back in control he gazed into her mischief eyes and landed a stellar shot of his own.

"That excelling in the arts is more advantageous than excelling in law."

Her eyes narrowed slightly with the need to defend her love of the law. But in the next moment she allowed a patronizing smile to settle across her face as she saw a twinkle appear in his eyes followed by an almost imperceptible twitch of his mouth to hide the grin he was struggling to contain. "Would you care to explain that statement, Mr. Lansing?"

"In time, Miss Davis, in time. We Harvard men also learned that patience is more than a virtue. It's absolutely essential when you're faced with a delectable feast of delicacies that are more rare and exotic than any you've tasted before. If you're a racer, intent on the finish you will always miss some of the more enticing surprising treats along the way. I prefer long leisurely trips with many stops at interesting places along the way."

While enjoying the twinkle and laughter in his voice, Ric's words were setting fire to the dry kindling of need that she had denied for far too long. Her body was quickly telling her that the time for words and games of playful innuendo was past. She smiled and took possession of his mouth once more quickly letting him know that she was through playing.

Lifting his arms, he let his robe pool on the floor around him, it's tie keeping the lower part of it still covering him. When his arms were free he reached for the tie of Alexis' robe and slowly pulled it free as she continued her quest to pull the breath from his body. He briefly wondered if a man could reach a release without any stimulation other than what Alexis was doing to him with her kisses.

As the tie of her robe finally released itself from around her, Alexis teased Ric's lip once more before drawing back to watch his face. She wasn't a vain woman, but she suddenly wanted him to think her just as attractive as she thought him to be. She wanted to see his face when he opened her robe. The sound of his breath leaving his lungs thrilled her, but the look on his face gave her the moon.

He watched her eyes as he reached for the folds of her robe and pulled them slowly apart. When he couldn't bear to wait another minute, he finally gave his eyes the gift of her unadorned body. The sight that awaited him stole his breath. Such beauty, such an exquisitely beautiful panorama of sensual pleasure! His eyes drifted slowly up to hers as awe covered his face.

"So beautiful..." his whispered as he looked back down to follow every curve of her body with his eyes. Leaning forward he touched his lips to the hollow of her throat then traveled toward her shoulder where he nipped softly before traveling back up toward her throat and settling just beside her ear. "You make me ache inside..."

He watched her reach toward him and breathlessly followed the graceful movement of her fingers as they drew closer to his body. She was unaware of the purely erotic sight of her fingers finding the edge of his robe and slowly drawing it away from what lay hidden beneath. His eyes again inched up to recapture her face and the smile she wore for him sent his want deeper as a fiery river pulsed uncontrollably through his body. Seeking her eyes he silently begged for her touch while feeling a moment of dread for when she finally did. To feel her touch him… he worried that he would not be able to withhold a release that he desperately wanted to save for her to take pleasure from. He wanted to give her all that he could to ease the ache he knew she must feel for the loss of the ultimate shared offering that gives a man and a woman the freedom to possess a part of each others soul. He wanted to give back to her that gift that she had been denied for so long. When her touch finally found him, he couldn't contain the soft gasp that left his throat. He inhaled so deeply that he not only took her scent deep into his lungs, but he took the aroma from the candles he lit earlier as well. His head reeled as the smell of a floral summer rain met the aroma of burning wood. Needing more he reached for her and pulled her close. Lowering his head he put his lips to her shoulder and touched his tongue to her skin and found the headiness he sought. A wayward thought flew past his senses as he wondered which of the bath oils she had used that made her taste and smell so sweet. And how was it that the aroma of a wood burning scented candle could bring two so completely different and distinctive scents into a marriage that could assault him and take him to the edge. It was earthy and refined, gentle and striking… it was filling him with a want he couldn't describe. It was more than loving her, more than joining their bodies into one… it was his whole life ahead of him… the complete joining of his life with hers.

The moment she touched him her eyes met his and what his thoughts couldn't express with words she found in the expression of his face… the mist coating the beauty of his eyes and the wild beating of his heart. She knew he was close… she found it in the desire his eyes could no longer hide and in the heat of his body that was keeping her warm. And she felt it in the palm of her hand. She would allow him to give what he needed to give. She released him and brought her hands up to cradle his head as she looked deeply into his eyes.

The only sounds to be heard in the dimly lit room were the flames gently licking the obstruction that prevented them from reaching their intended height and the rain spattering against the windows. Thunder rolled periodically following flashes of lightning that penetrated the darkened corners of his apartment. They were both so intent on discovering the delights of each other that the storm raging outside had all but been forgotten.

It was time… they both knew and recognized the moment that all lovers look for when seeking the purest coupling granted a man and woman. Running his hands up her sides and around to hold her close he lifted her just enough then slowly, gently released her back down to settle warmly around him. He leaned his head back to watch her and found a single tear finding its way slowly down her cheek. Reaching up he captured it with his thumb and placing it on his tongue closed his mouth and swallowed taking the essence of her down his throat. He didn't move… he didn't push… he let her take from him what she needed. All he wanted was to hold her and let her feel him love her.

She couldn't contain the shudder that passed through her body as she settled around him. Nor could she stop the tear that escaped at the feeling of total completeness she felt at having Ric filling her body as well as her soul. She couldn't move… didn't want to move. All she wanted was just to feel whole again…

Moments passed without movement, without sound. Their eyes never wavered away from each other. Eyes that mirrored fingers caressing each others soul and gently soothing all the hurts and disappointments of their pasts, fingers that touched and beckoned the soul to follow a new path.

When she could stand it no more, Alexis moved… barely and just enough to create a new wave of pleasure for them both. Her eyes left his momentarily as she caught sight of a new experience waiting for her. Placing her hands on his shoulder she gently pushed him back enough so that he had to use his hands behind him to hold himself upright… she followed him just enough to capture the pearl of sweat trickling down the center of his chest. The taste of him sent her senses into overload. The salty taste of his body's release of the heat consuming him was filled with a sweetness that she knew she would never be able to get enough of.

Looking up at her as he leaned back to allow her to receive what she sought, Ric found the sight of her irresistible and when she finally straightened he followed and gently took the center of one rose between his teeth and took pleasure from her quick intake of breath. He stayed there for a moment taking advantage of a new treasure until he felt her body tell him it was time to give her what she craved most. Lifting his head his eyes met hers once again and he knew by her quickened breath and her grip on his arms that she was almost over the edge.

"Hold on, baby. Not yet." He whispered.

"Hurry." She panted.

"I promise it won't be long. Just hold on to me and we'll go together."

"Please. I can't…" It had been so long since she felt anything so fulfilling that the simple feel of him filling her was quickly sending her past the edge of reason.

"Yes, you can." Placing his arms around her again he barely rocked her against him and heard her guttural moan as she buried her head in his shoulder gasping for breath. Just as he was about to lift her again a deafening clap of thunder suddenly shook the windows and reverberated through the apartment. Any control they were desperately holding onto was completely ripped from them as the vibrations of the thunder filled their bodies forcing them unexpectedly over the edge of ecstasy together. It was powerful, an amazing revelation of what lay hidden deep inside each of them, it was more than anything either of them had ever experienced before. As they slowly came down from their euphoric release, Ric leaned back and settled himself against the cushion of the couch pulling Alexis with him as she released him from her enticing embrace and settled beside him draping one leg over his and settling her head on his shoulder. As their breathing returned to normal she looked up and found him smiling.

"You did have a little help, you know." She teased him.

He looked down incredulously at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Think you could come up with the same result without the thunder?" She laughed at the sheepish grin that suddenly appeared on his face as he recalled the moment the thunder struck and he exploded torrentially.

She laughed delightedly as he blushed crimson. She wrapped her arms around him as he rolled them over so that she was beneath him. "I would certainly like to try." He countered with amusement. "But, this time, I'm taking you to bed, Miss Davis like the properly trained Harvard Law graduate that I am. Your opening arguments were quite impressive, but just wait until I deliver my summation."

She laughed fully at his wicked grin and pulled his face down to capture his lips as she buried herself inside him again, forcing his grin to disappear. How can a man keep a smile on his face with a deliciously full mouth?