Claudia flutters kisses across my jaw, up the side of my face, across my nose, eyelids, forehead and back down. The light kisses tickle as much as her touch. I rest my hands on her hips instinctively to steady her. Unable to bear the suspense of her silence, I capture her lips with mine and kiss her hard and deep, aware it might be our last.

When she pulls away, she rests her wet cheek against mine. "I am so sorry for your pain, Petr," she whispers and begins the fluttering kisses once more. "So sorry. You are ... too good to suffer. If I could take away your pain ... bring Mikael back ..."

I embrace her once more, all but hauling her into my body at the soft, sweet response. "I have a sleeve for it, if you want me to cover it."

"No. Never." She pulls away and meets my gaze, her eyes shining with tears. "Petr, you are beautiful, whether or not you see it." The genuine warmth and affection in her expression mystifies me.

I wipe her tears away, speechless for a moment. I never thought anyone could say something that could reach the depths of me the way her simple words do. Our unusual connection has always been borderline supernatural, in my opinion. I've been drawn to her quiet sauciness and warm heart since we met, and it's only grown from there.

She eases back from me and lifts her sweatshirt off to reveal the faint pink bra beneath. Shimmying out of her leggings, she then stands before me once again. The fear is still in her eyes, but there's trust as well and emotion too intense for me to categorize.

It takes me a minute to process the fact she's not only accepting me as I am, but she's taking the next step forward, too.

"C'mere." I take her hand and lead her to the ottoman, sitting. I pull her into my lap, and she straddles me, her feet dangling off the ottoman behind me. She shifts against my arousal, and I resist the urge to press it against her. "I need to ask you something before anything happens."

Claudia settles onto my lap and wraps her arms around my head, gazing into my eyes as she waits.

"The last time we kissed, you ran away," I say with a half-smile. "You are certain this is what you want?"

She nods.

"I've never wanted anyone or anything as much as I do you, Claudia," I whisper. "You are one night away from stealing my heart. I need you to be sure. I care about you too much for this to be a one night stand or a chink in your armor."

"I understand," she whispers back. "Petr, I swear to you. This is what I want. Tomorrow won't change that. A week or two or three or a year or any length of time won't change that."

"Will you tell me what's prevented you from this before?"

She hesitates, a flicker of unease and the shadow returning. "Yes, Petr, I will."

The response fills me with a sense of relief more profound than any I've ever known. "In the morning," I murmur, barely able to tolerate sitting so still when I want to be buried deep inside her.

She smiles, stretches back and releases her bra to free her coral tipped breasts. Tossing it aside, she leans into me, skin against skin. "Will you make love to me?"

"Absolutely," I say with a grin. I take her cheeks in my hand and gaze once more into her blue eyes. "I would've waited a lifetime for you, Claudia."

"You don't have to, Petr." She kisses me, and this time, I know talk-time is over for the night.

My hands slide down her arms to her back and down. I grip her backside and pull her against my aching erection, then brace one arm around her back. Kissing her hungrily, I explore her body with my free hand, pausing to skim her nipples and dwelling on the softness of the skin of her stomach. Releasing her mouth, I trail hot kisses down her neck once more, relishing the taste of her skin, before taking the tight bud of her nipple into my mouth.

Claudia moans softly as I suckle and nip at it, her hands running through my hair while she moves against my arousal. Her underwear is between us still, an annoyance I can't stand. Teasing her second nipple, I then gently push her to her feet without standing and slip her underwear off. She's quivering, her hands running down my arms and across my shoulders as I skate mine down her perfect hourglass shape. I admire every inch and curve of her body and the way the firelight dances across her skin before pent up desire gets the best of me. I fish out a condom from my jeans.

Standing, I claim her mouth with pure need and pull her against me, one hand roaming down her side. Shifting my hips back, I slide my palm down to the mound of her pussy and press before sliding my fingers into her slick, hot core.

She moves against my hand, and I move my fingers in and out of her, loving how wet she already is for me. Her feminine form is malleable, her surrender complete, and the primal male in me shouts in victory after the long wait to reach this point.

Unable to wait much longer, I lean back and unroll the condom quickly over my dick. I then shift her body and lift her onto my hips, holding her securely as I penetrate the hot depths of her body with my erection.

She gasps and clings to me. "Oh, god, Petr!" Her legs wrap around me and pull me deeper into her. She shudders and holds me close. I bury my face in the nook of her neck and breathe in her scent, waiting for her to adjust to my size before I begin to claim her for real.

Being inside her with our bodies pressed together ... I've never known this kind of connection between two people existed. It's so natural and peaceful, I'm temporarily yanked out of the haze of need. I've never had such a perfect moment, never been matched with such a perfect partner. Her pussy is squeezing me hard, her thighs even harder, and her quick breath tickles my ears.

"This is the way ... it's supposed to be," she manages breathlessly. "I need to be closer." She shifts against me.

"Agreed," I murmur and kiss the skin of her neck. "I need to taste you, Claudia."

She gives a shaky laugh. "Then taste me."

It's all the invitation I need. I carry her to the bed and lay her down gently on it, remaining between her legs. Her demanding mouth distracts me from my goal of tasting her pussy. I move in and out of her, my senses filled with the friction of our bodies sliding against one another, of the scent of her arousal and the command of her lips. I don't want my skin ever to leave direct contact with hers, but I also want this to be a night she remembers.

Sliding out of her body, I shift back onto my good knee and release her mouth as well.

"Ready?" I ask with a wicked grin.

"Petr!" she groans, tugging at my arms.

"Oh, no, Claudia. You tortured me for almost two months. My turn." I maneuver between her knees and nudge them apart so there's enough room for my shoulders. Pushing my hands under the plump rounds of her butt, I shift her hips into position and take a moment to observe the perfect flower before me.

Nuzzling my nose against her clit, I smile as she gasps. I nip at the swollen outer lips of her pussy before gliding my tongue along the inner lips. Dipping it into her core to taste her, I give a purely male, purely primal growl of satisfaction at the slick, sweet flavor of her. Flicking my tongue into her, I follow the inner lips upwards, and brush the hard button of her clit ever so gently.

She jerks and gasps.

I hold her still, satisfied to discover she's so sensitive. I push two fingers into her core and begin stroking her g-spot while my tongue swirls around her clit. Her hands are clutching my hair, her sighs turning to pants as I alternate speed and pressure, until finally, she starts to beg.

"Torture," I say and lift my mouth, thrilled by the way her beautiful body writhes.

"Please, please, please!" she groans and paws at my shoulders and upper arms. "Please go inside me, Petr."

"Yes, ma'am," I say with a small laugh. Moving my way up her once more, I settle between her thighs and rest my torso weight on the forearms on either side of her head. The contact of our skin sends my sense skittering once more.

Her eyes are glazed, her need real enough that she's squirming beneath me. She grabs my cheeks and pulls me down to kiss me. For once, Claudia is out of control, and I love the sight of it.

"You want me inside you?" I break away to whisper and meet her gaze.

"Yes!" she gasps. "I want to come with you inside me."

The sense of being in the perfect place, of a connection deeper than our skin, too intimate to be natural, causes me to pause for a moment and gaze down at the face of a woman who somehow managed to claim my heart without me even realizing it.

She wriggles against my erection with a grin. "Now, soldier," she whispers.

The moment snaps, and hunger takes over. I stop resisting the scream of my desire and kiss her hard enough to render her breathless before sliding into her body.

This time, I don't stop thrusting until she arches beneath me, and she's crying my name with her climax. Her pussy undulates around my erection, and I come shortly after her.

But it doesn't stop there. It can't. I need to experience every inch of her, to memorize how she moves when I touch her somewhere, to hear her gasp out my name again and watch her face flush when the orgasm takes her.

I roll onto my back and pull her with me. She kisses me hungrily, and I thrust upward into her once more.

The more I have her, the more I want her, and the consuming desire keeps us up almost until dawn. For hours we make love, rest and then make love again, learning each other's bodies as I've never bothered to know anyone else's.

As we doze off before dawn, it hits me why sex is so different with her. It's more than Claudia accepting me for who I am. It's more than lust or physical need. The connection that's startled me with its intensity is one I never really expected to be so humbling or satisfying or compelling, I can't get enough of her. In all our interactions, it never occurred to me that I might be falling in love with her, that my joke about her stealing my heart wasn't really a joke at all.

Chapter Eighteen: Claudia.

Petr's not there when I wake up after a long doze. Light pours in from the large windows facing the backyard. The snow is coming down hard. I snuggle under the covers for a moment, breathing in our combined scents. The fire has died down, but it's warm and comfortable in the massive bedroom. He has a wall of photographs, awards and other memorabilia from his time in the service. The ledge over the hearth is packed with pictures of his siblings and him, and photographs take up the space around genuine paintings from the Renaissance.

The wooden floor is covered with rugs of varying hues of blue. The accents and decor are in dark woods and blues. A seating area the size of my living room is near a massive walk-in closet, and there are two dressers and wardrobes along the walls. Cathedral ceilings feature wooden rafters and a smaller but similar wrought iron chandelier to the one in the foyer.

The room is subtly luxurious and completely masculine, like the plain looking sheets I suspect are expensive and the bed that's more comfortable than any I've ever slept in.

Pushing myself up, I groan softly at the stiffness and soreness of my body. I've never had a night like last night. A smile spreads across my face as I consider how intense Petr's felt for me for some time to consume me in his fire the way he did.

I cross to the restroom and scrounge around for a new toothbrush. Cleaning up, I stop in front of the shower with its stone walls, glass enclosure and the rain shower ceiling. It's not just a showerhead but a space about three feet by three feet filled with holes for water.

I've never seen anything like it, but I immediately suspect I'll never want to shower elsewhere. It's controlled digitally by a panel outside the enclosure. I poke at the buttons until the stream comes on and stand back, amazed. The temperature is set to a hundred and two. I hesitate to change Petr's setting, knowing how much I dislike it when Todd changes settings on my phone or anything else.

"Well, it's on, Claudia," I murmur and then grin. Opening the door, I walk in and almost melt. The gentle streams of water are heavenly, the shower floors heated and Petr's woodsy scent everywhere.

Sighing, I close my eyes and lean my head back, letting the hot water wash over me.

"You, uh, want company?" Petr calls a short time later.

I smile, my whole world brightening once more at his deep voice. "Depends on who's asking."

He laughs. "I'm equally happy watching you."

My body flushes with warmth from the tips of my ears to the tips of my breasts. I open my eyes and see him leaning against the counter, shirt off and sweatpants on, his incredibly sexy frame relaxed. He's smiling. His tender, amused expression leaves me rattled once more, even after our long night together.

I don't think I'll ever get used to the way he looks at me, through me, as if we've known each other our entire lives instead of meeting two months ago.

I went from a nightmare to a fairytale. Overwhelmed by what that ultimately means for my future, I nonetheless know I'm exactly where I want to be with the man I want to be with.

"Are you coming in?" I ask playfully.

"Absolutely."

I wait anxiously, exhilaration racing through me. There's nothing in this world that compares to his touch. Gentle yet firm, he has a way of making me feel both empowered and safe enough to be vulnerable.

Petr opens the shower door and slides in. He's wearing a black sleeve over his prosthetic leg. His hands find me immediately and slide over my wet skin. He's the most affection man I've ever known. I never thought twice about a man who loves to touch me, but one night with him has convinced me I don't ever want his hands elsewhere when we're together.

He nudges me until my back is to him and wraps his arms around me, hugging me into his body. Resting his head on my shoulder, he kisses my neck. His solid strength awes me, and I trace my hands down the thick biceps and roped forearms holding me against him. His hard erection is pressed to my bottom, and the combination of his strength and apparent arousal cause the hollow between my legs to ache for him again already.

"How you doing?" he whispers. "No regrets?"

"Never with you," I reply and rest my head against his shoulder. "You?"

"Nope."

"Well ... I do have one regret," I add. "I didn't get you anything for Christmas."

"You're the best Christmas present ever."

I smile and close my eyes, relishing the sensations of his warm frame, strength, and the grizzled jaw tickling my neck. This is perfect. Being in his arms makes me wonder why I've settled for being anywhere else my entire life.

One of his palms shifts down my abdomen. "Or ... we could give each other a special shower present," he says huskily. "Start the day out right."

"I'm game," I say breathlessly, already yearning for him. I relax against him completely, unable to recall the last time I was able to trust someone enough to close my eyes and simply exist ... share a space with them.

His hand rests over my pussy, and my breath catches. I wait with heady anticipation for the touch I know is coming. Kisses spread down the side of my neck and shoulder. His finger slips between my nether lips to graze my clit, and I reach back to touch his face.

Twisting my head to kiss him, I almost moan when his fingers dip inside me then out, traveling the path between my core and my clit slowly before he begins swirling around the hard nub.

"Too heavy? Too light? Just right?" he whispers against my mouth.

"Perfect. Just don't stop," I reply and kiss him again. He keeps me trapped with my back to him while fingering me and toying with my clit. The sensations grow stronger as my orgasm builds quickly, and my inner thighs begin to shake. I grip his forearm, afraid of falling when I lose myself to the pleasure.

"I got ya," he murmurs. "Remember? I'll catch you when you fall."

I nod, unable to muster a response. The tempo and pressure of his strokes varies, pushing me closer without letting me come quiet yet, and I stop thinking about whether or not he really can catch me and instead, dwell in the exquisite sensations.

The orgasm builds slow and breaks fast. It slams into me with such intensity, my legs give out, and I sag against him, panting.

"I love seeing you lose it," he murmurs and holds me, his fingers leaving my pussy. "I love knowing I'm the one you trust to make you come."

I listen to his desire-roughened voice and know the best part is yet to come. Waves of pleasure render me immobile as my body tenses and releases under their effects.

He turns me to face him, one arm staying around me. By the sparkle in his eyes, he knows I can't stand on my own. His erection is hard along my belly and the hunger on his face mirroring what I feel.

Petr kisses me deeply, no longer content with patient exploration. He claims my lips, drives me back, renders me breathless with his intensity. The glass wall is cool at my back, and I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into me.

He lifts me onto his hips and pierces my pussy hard and fast. I gasp and cling to him with my arms and legs, intoxicated by his scent and the way our wet skin glides against one another. His desire is hot and quick this morning, and he thrusts into me deep and fast, alternating between kisses that rob me of thought and pressing me into the shower wall. He fills me, stretches me with his size, impales me with his hardness until I feel like I melt around his dick and the strength of his chest.

When he comes, it's with a growl. He sinks into me one last time, and I squeeze my hips around him to keep him there while he braces himself with one arm against the wall behind me. His pants mix with the soft sound of rainfall. We remain in place, frozen after our ecstasy, enjoying the sensations of warm skin, water and the profound pleasure of our joining.

"I want you inside me forever," I groan, unable to get enough of him. "How is that possible?"

"I'm not the only one who thinks this is a little crazy?" He lifts his head and peers into my eyes.

"No. It's not normal at all," I agree. "But it's also ..."

"Natural," he supplies. "Like we were made for each other."

The thought does the same thing to me as a look this intense from him: scrambles my thoughts and sends my emotions tumbling.