Author's note: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight for the ends of being and ideal grace" - is written by Elizabeth Barrett-Browning in "How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)". Not mine, just borrowing it.

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The scent of Lucas' cologne caressed Grace's senses. She kissed him again and again, unable to pull herself away from him.

His fingers were gently caressing her brown long hair, getting lost in the soft waves. Every time he would come back to the top of her head and run his fingers down the length of her hair her heart would release a whimper filled with longing.

His fingers felt heavenly.

She sneaked her fingertips to his soft beard, enjoying the feel of it and reveling in the freedom of slowly trailing her fingertips down his beard to his chin and gently caressing his neck.

Shivers and warmth fired up his skin on her touch and he let out a low moan.

He had to pull away before he lost control of himself.

Easier said than done.

He slowed down their kiss to long, lazy movements.

She was intoxicating.

He pulled away and closed his eyes, pressing a kiss to her soft hair.

He could feel her frantic heartbeat as she breathed heavily, hidden in his chest.

He tried to take a deep breath in and in the next moment he hissed as the sharp pain coursed through the area of his shoulder.

Grace jumped away slightly, confused until she saw his palm pressing on the place where he was stabbed.

"Lucas?", she asked, concern colouring her voice "What can I do?

Lucas shook his head.

"I forgot to take my painkillers this morning", he replied through gritted teeth, his eyes shut.

Grace nodded.

"Painkillers. Right. Where are they?"

"In my office. Drawer of my desk", he hissed in pain again.

Grace sprung into action.

"I'm on it", she turned to leave then turned back "Come on. You should sit down", she led him slowly to the window seat, put a small pillow behind his neck, then pushed a curl of his hair away from his forehead. He opened his eyes a bit and smiled weakly at her fussing over him.

"I could get used to this", he mumbled silently. At her confused look, he breathed out "To have you taking care of me".

Grace's eyes sparkled with what he knew now was pure love.

"I couldn't get used to you getting so seriously hurt. I would take care of you no matter are you hurt, sad or being silly", she kissed his cheek quickly and rushed out to find the painkillers.

Luckily, she knew where his office was because she and Lillian were there back when he started up the project for their orphanage.

It seemed like years passed since then.

Slamming the doors open Grace quickly opened two drawers and found the pills in one of them.

Grabbing them, she closed the drawers and ran back to the room where she left Lucas.

He was still at the same place, his eyes closed, his palm on his wound and he tried to regulate his breathing so it wouldn't hurt.

Quickly, Grace poured some water from the pitcher on the table and rushed toward Lucas.

"Here", Grace's shivering fingers opened the lid and she took out a pill "How much?"

"Two, when the pain is worse", Lucas barely said from the pain.

Grace quickly took another pill and gently brought them to Lucas' lips.

"Come on, my love", she managed to put pills in his mouth and helped him to take a few sips of water.

She just went to put the glass and bottle of pills on the table when his pained, silent voice was heard.

"Grace?"

She rushed back to him, her fingers gently wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. He let out a sigh at her gentle touch and reached with his right hand to her.

Grace took it, gently brushing his knuckles.

"Please, stay", Lucas whispered, his eyes closed.

Grace's heart melted.

"There's no place I'd rather be", she said softly, her other hand going to his dark hair caressing it in gently, lazy movements.

She could feel him relax under her touch before he even spoke.

"Oh, how do I love thee…", he whispered, letting out a long sigh at her gentle ministrations.

Grace smiled, her heart skipping a beat.

"We will count the ways when you get better, my love", she whispered and watched as he exhaled, a smile lazily curling up his lips as he leaned on the pillow, eyes closed, enjoying her touch.

As his breathing calmed down, Lucas opened his eyes. The painkillers kicked in, enabling him to breathe and move again and Grace's gentle caress relaxed him into a state of utter peace.

She watched him carefully, with concern and warmth.

Something he never had before.

"You should eat something", she whispered "Painkillers can be hard on an empty stomach".

Lucas nodded.

"You're right", he tried to get up, but couldn't push himself up on his left hand without grimacing in pain.

Grace rushed to his side.

"No, stay here. I'd fix you a plate and bring it over here. You shouldn't move until those pills kick in", she watched as he exhaled and closed his eyes again, giving her a small smile.

Grace went to the table and picked up the lids from the various plates and bowls.

Her heart warmed after seeing how much effort he put in making breakfast for her.

Oh, Lucas.

Grace blinked her tears away, filling up the plates.

When she finished, she took both chairs towards the window, getting herself a curious look from Lucas.

She went back to get the plates and turning around, she saw his confused look.

"What? You didn't think that I would let you eat alone over there?", she asked, one eyebrow raising up.

He didn't reply, just watched her intently.

Grace put the plates on one chair, then try to take her seat on the other chair, but he stopped her.

"No, please", he moved a bit to make space for her in the window seat. His eyes were watching her with such adoration that she felt her knees buckling "Come here", he whispered.

Grace slowly went toward the window seat and sat on his right side.

He moved his good arm, right arm, and traced his fingers over her cheek, down to her neck and her pulse point.

Her heart felt like it would jump out of her chest, her skin getting goosebumps as he brushed his knuckles over her neck.

His fingertips moved to her lips and his thumb traced her lower lip agonizingly slow.

Grace closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as his gentle touch blurred her mind.

Suddenly, she felt his lips reaching her neck and she silently gasped as he showered her neck with long, sensual kisses.

Oh.

Oh, dear God.

Grace tried to normalize her breathing but it was in that moment that Lucas' lips gently sucked on her pulse point causing her to gasp loudly.

The man was playing every string in her body making her silently whimper as the tip of his tongue touched her pulse point before he sucked it into a kiss.

I can't breathe.

I'm gonna faint.

I never want him to stop.

Her breathing turned into sharp, short sighs as his lips traveled upwards until he finally reached her lips and kissed her.

Oh, how he kissed her!

She kissed him back, careful not to hurt his wound and almost lost her senses when he pulled away and whispered:

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight", he hovered his lips over hers until she managed to open her eyes a bit only to see his eyes darken as he slowly finished the poem "For the ends of being and ideal…grace", he emphasized a word "grace", leaned down and kissed her deeply, causing her heart to soar.

Oh, how I love this man!

When the kiss ended, she put an open palm on his bearded cheek and breathing heavily, she managed to whisper "What was that for?"

Lucas smiled gently, his smile so close to her lips as he gently replied.

"Sonnet 43 is nothing comparing to the poetry you brought on me today", Lucas nestled in her cheek, his hand resting on her pulse point, causing her heart palpitations.

Grace breathed heavily as she got lost in his eyes.

"I said something as beautiful as this?", at Lucas' slight nod, she silently asked "What did I say?"

His right hand wrapped itself around her waist and he pulled her a bit closer, never losing eye contact before he passionately whispered:

"You called me 'My love'", his eyes were almost black now as he added in a whisper "Twice".

Grace smiled, her heartbeat growing wild. Her palm moved over his cheek and disappeared in his hair as she whispered, matching his passion:

"Oh, you are. You are my love, Lucas Bouchard", and to confirm her statement, she kissed him slowly, gently but it quickly turned into a kiss so passionate that it took them both by surprise.

Gasping for air after several minutes Grace watched his eyes that were now black as the night.

"How did you manage to forget to take your painkillers this morning?", she smiled lazily "What were you thinking?"

Lucas' smile bordered on passionate and loving as he whispered:

"I was busy making breakfast for my love", he noticed how her eyes glistened at this words and he smiled, holding her gaze "And you proved to be quite distracting", his smile widened as he leaned down and kissed her again.