An Eternity in a Moment

by K Carothers

Luke gripped her tighter, holding her gaze imprisoned in his just as completely as he held her body captive against the wall. “I want to know who he is. Tell me the truth.”

  Erin was especially glad for those three drinks now or she never would have been able to give it to him. “It’s just me…and a vibrator.”

  It was his turn to blink in surprise. “What?”

  “I couldn’t use it at the house. Not with Jenna there.” A ghost of a smile crossed Erin's face. “And apparently her mother, too.”

  “But why, Erin?” Luke asked, pressing nearer.

  She could feel his breath on her skin now. Her eyes fell back to his lips, so close to hers, and the heat continued to spread through her. “Because of you. Me. I…I need to figure myself out—that way. In so many ways.” She hesitantly met his gaze again. “I want to feel…something. I want to feel everything. I’ve never…” She didn’t know quite how to get the words out then, even with those drinks running through her veins. “I haven’t…”

  Her voice trailed off completely, and Luke let go of her arms, cupping her face in his hands. “Erin,” he whispered, and slowly lowered his head until his mouth hovered just over hers, nearly grazing it. He paused there, inhaling her breath and giving it back again, then finally closed that last bit of space between them, gently touching her lips with his in a tender kiss. Part of him wanted to press harder and devour her mouth right then and there. But another part of him wanted to savor the moment—a moment he’d dreamed about for most of his life and hoped to remember for the rest of it. So he reined the beast in, sampling her sweetness, wanting more but waiting. Reveling in anticipation of the repast to come…

  He’d conquered her defenses. Erin knew it as soon as he kissed her. The walls surrounding her heart and soul that had seemed so impenetrable before came crashing down around her, disintegrating into dust and leaving her nowhere to hide. But she didn’t want to hide anymore. “Luke,” she softly pleaded against his mouth. And then she couldn’t hold back a second longer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and slanted her lips hungrily over his.

  Luke did devour her then, kissing her back with all the desire he’d kept pent up inside him for far too long, easing off at times to redirect his assault on her mouth, and then pressing even deeper, again and again. And Erin met him kiss for ravenous kiss, unable to get enough. She’d been starving, she realized—starving for something she’d never tasted before him.

  His tongue found hers, pushing against it, then around, and she eagerly pushed back. He led, and she followed, in a feast between their mouths that turned the warmth inside her into a fever of need. He was teaching her how much she could feel, just in a kiss.

  Luke finally slid his mouth off hers and skimmed his lips over the side of her face to her ear. “Let me help you find yourself, Erin,” he whispered into it, and leisurely traced the ridges and rim with his tongue. Then he lightly blew on the wetness he left behind, and she grabbed hold of his shoulders, feeling her knees go weak with the dizzying pleasure of it.

  “I want to help you feel everything,” he murmured, blazing a path of heated kisses down her neck. “And I want to feel every part of you.”

  “Yes,” Erin breathed. There was no longer any question of awkwardness. There was only need, a need she felt with every fiber of her being. “Yes.”

  Luke needed no further invitation. He swiftly pulled her shirt up over her head, tossing it aside. And in the next breath he undid her bra, tugging it down and letting it fall between them to the floor.

  “God, you’re beautiful, Erin,” he said in a voice raw with emotion, and cupped her breasts in his hands, kneading them slowly, reverently, for a moment. Then he stroked her nipples with his thumbs, circling around and over, gently coaxing them to life.

  Erin’s breath caught as pleasure, wild and sweet and unlike anything she’d ever known, rippled through her with every stroke, settling deep and hot inside her. She urged his head back down to hers, wanting more, and their lips met in another long, feverish kiss while his warm fingers continued to work magic on her breasts.

  Luke eventually ended the kiss and lowered his mouth to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, sinking his teeth into her skin there, though not hard enough to leave a mark. And he heard her approval in the whispered moan of pleasure she let out just above his ear, the sound adding fuel to the fire of his own passion.

  He gradually moved downward, brushing his lips seductively against her skin. And when he reached one of her breasts, he cradled the underside in his palm and pressed soft, teasing kisses over it, getting ever closer to her nipple. “You taste sweeter than honey,” he whispered, and slowly circled her areola with the tip of his tongue. “I want to feel every part of you, but I want to taste every part of you even more.”

  A second later his hot, hungry mouth descended onto her hardened nipple, and Erin helplessly groaned, fisting her hands in his hair as his lips and tongue awakened sensations there that set her body on fire from her fingertips down to her toes. Then he finished the amorous assault by grasping her nipple in his teeth, lightly biting, tugging. “Luke!” she managed to get out in a strangled cry.

  He moved to her other breast, making love to that one just as thoroughly, while he slid his hands down over her belly until he reached the waistband of her pants. He deftly undid the button and lowered the zipper, then plunged a hand inside. His searching fingers found the throbbing, swollen center of her need, and he gently caressed her there.

  “Luke!” Erin repeated in a gasp, clenching him tightly as wave after wave of exquisite pleasure flooded her.

  “You’re so warm and wet,” he whispered, skimming his lips back up over her skin to her mouth. He traced it sensuously with his tongue as he continued to massage her below, and she opened it wider in pleasure, moan after moan escaping from deep in her throat. Then he kissed her with renewed hunger, stroking harder, faster.

  Erin tried to return the kiss, but sensation soon overwhelmed her, and she finally had to tear her lips from his and lean her head back against the wall. “Oh God, Luke!” she cried, letting go of him and bracing her hands there as well. She was held captive once again, this time by the invisible bonds of passion.

  “Move against me, Erin. Dance with me,” Luke softly urged, and cupped her bottom with his other hand, leading her in the dance.

  Erin moved her hips to the rhythm of his demanding fingers, and the fire down low inside her burned even hotter, and hotter, until she felt ready to explode with it. “Luke…Oh God…Luke!”

  “I want you, Erin,” he said tightly into her ear, kissing her there again. “God, I want you so bad it hurts.”

  “I want you too,” she groaned. “Now, Luke. Please!”

  He swooped her up into his arms with the words still hanging in the air and carried her over to the bed, tossing the plastic bag sitting on it to the floor as he eased her down. Then he quickly sent the rest of her clothes to join it and all but tore off his own.

  Erin’s need only deepened as she watched him undress. The sight of his arousal stirred up something completely raw and elemental inside her, and after he kicked away the last of his clothes she urgently pulled him down on top of her, sliding her legs up around his hips without hesitation. He shifted over her at the same time, guiding himself to her entrance, and she closed her eyes as he slowly pushed into her, savoring the sweet sensation of his body filling hers.

  “God, you feel so good, Erin.” Luke dropped his head down on her shoulder, trying to rein in the pleasure that threatened to overwhelm him. And once he had control of himself again, he drew back and started thrusting into her, swiveling his hips upward to stroke the places she would feel him the most.

  “Luke…” Erin clutched his back and needed no prompting to move against him this time, letting natural instinct take over as she met his thrusts, propelled by a greater need that she didn’t quite under
stand.

  “Yes…God yes, Erin, keep doing that,” Luke murmured thickly, thrusting harder, faster.

  Erin matched his pace, welcomed it, and was soon driving her hips up to meet his with abandon. Any remaining inhibition she had got lost in a sea of full-bodied sensation, and she let her unrestrained cries echo loudly through the room, over and over again.

  Then pleasure took on an entirely new meaning. It became stronger, deeper, more exquisite than anything that had come before it. And with each thrust of his body into hers it heightened even more, and more…She felt like she was losing control of her senses. She didn’t know what was happening. She didn’t know what to do. “Luke!” she cried desperately, digging her fingers hard into his back. “Luke…!”

  She was ready to come. He heard it in her voice. But there was something else in there too, so he lifted his head to look into her eyes. Pleasure was mixed with uncertainty—and fear. And in that moment he knew exactly what she’d been trying to tell him. She’d never been where he was taking her, and his heart exulted. “Just let it happen, honey,” he whispered. “Let yourself go…”

  And so she did. She threw her head back and let out a deep, guttural cry that came straight from her soul, arching up against him as her body convulsed and breathtaking sensations burst inside her, flooding her with a pleasure that was like nothing she’d ever imagined was possible. It soared past the boundaries of flesh and blood, taking her to a limitless place…a place where there was only sweet ecstasy.

  Luke quickly followed her to that place. His own pleasure exploded violently inside him, and he uttered a moan of near anguish as he came, his body shuttering again and again in the aftermath of his release. Then he collapsed on top of her, still inside her, not ready to break the connection between their bodies, and leaned his head against hers on the bed.

  Neither of them said anything for several long moments after that, the only sound in the room the heaviness of their breathing.

  Erin felt herself drift gently back to earth, and turned her face into Luke’s hair, catching the subtle smell of citrus and mint. She ran her hands leisurely over the muscles of his back and shoulders, loving the feel of him, the touch of his bare skin against hers, on top of her, around her, inside her. He’d kept his word. He’d helped her feel everything.

  Luke finally lifted his head and looked down at her with a smile. “Sex with you is out of this world, Sally Ride.”

  Erin slowly smiled back. “It’s the first name I thought of when I checked in, probably because Jenna and I were watching some show about astronauts last night. But it made sense. I felt like I was visiting another planet when I went into the adult entertainment store to buy the vibrator.”

  Luke laughed softly. “And how do you feel now?”

  “Like I just took a ride to Heaven and back.”

  “I was on that ride with you,” he whispered, and lowered his mouth to hers.

  The kiss was slow and gentle, sweet and searching. It wasn’t a kiss inspired by lust. It was a kiss inspired by love. And Erin knew without a doubt—she was falling in love with him. Hard. And fast.

  The kiss ended and Luke eased off of her, turning to lie with his head propped up on an elbow. His eyes fell to her mouth, and he slowly ran a finger over her lips. “I’m sorry I flipped out on you earlier. The thought of McKellar here with you sent me off the deep end for a minute.”

  “You were very jealous, Detective Mathis,” Erin teased, lightly biting his finger. “So much for ‘There is no remedy for love but to love more.’”

  “I see now you have no problem repeating Jenna’s quotes,” Luke said dryly.

  “That one’s pretty easy to remember. Maybe not so easy to put into practice.” Erin giggled, and then laughed at herself for doing it. She’d never made such a sound in her life.

  Luke smiled down at her, loving the carefree look on her face. It was a look he’d never seen before. Then it occurred to him that he might not entirely be the cause of it, and his smile faded. “How much have you had to drink, Erin?”

  “You should know, Detective. You gave me a very thorough breathalyzer test.” Erin let out another helpless giggle and wrapped her arms around his neck, urging his head back down to hers. “But you’re more than welcome to double-check.”

  He wouldn’t budge, though. “How much, Erin?” he repeated.

  She looked up into his unwavering blue gaze and giggled. “Well, I had two at the bar, then I brought one up here that I didn’t quite finish. And the last one is over there on the floor.” She giggled again. “And it’s also on the wall. And all over our clothes. I think it might even be in my hair.” Another giggle bubbled out of her.

  Luke’s brows furrowed. “Erin, I don’t want you to wake up with a hangover tomorrow and be sorry about what we did here tonight.”

  Seeing how concerned he looked, her expression sobered. “I’m not that drunk. And I promise, I won’t be sorry about this tomorrow. What I feel has far more to do with you than the alcohol, believe me.” She grinned. “But I’d be happy to perform any sort of sobriety test you want me to, Detective. Just don’t ask me to do a handstand or a cartwheel because I would fail at those anyway—although maybe I wouldn’t now. You did get my hips to do things they’ve never done before, either.”

  Luke didn’t resist this time when she pulled him down. The kiss was light, tender and undemanding at first. Then it deepened as the embers of passion ignited into another full-fledged blaze between them. When they finally came up for air, he breathed, “God, you’re intoxicating.”

  Erin rubbed her cheek against his, liking the rougher texture of his skin on hers. “Make love to me again,” she whispered into his ear, and dared to run her tongue over it as he’d done to her before. “Is it even possible to do it again so soon?” She blew lightly on his ear. “I don’t remember learning anything about that in medical school.”

  Luke groaned and slid on top of her, fully aroused. “I just found out it is from my end. We’ll have to see about yours.” He kissed her briefly. “But first I need you to do that sobriety test.”

  It was Erin’s turn to groan. “What do you want me to do, Detective?”

  “Just tell me something smart—like one of your doctor things.”

  “Hmmm. Let me think.” But then he started kissing her neck, and she couldn’t think at all. “You’re going to have to stop that if you want me to pass,” she told him with a soft laugh.

  Luke lifted his head, grinning down at her. “And I really want you to pass. So tell me something that sounds smart.”

  Erin paused in thought. “How about the five H’s and T’s of cardiac arrest? It’s a memory aid for the things that usually cause it.”

  “Yes, that sounds very smart. So what are the five H’s and T’s?”

  “Well, the five H’s are hypovolemia, which means there isn’t enough fluid in the body because of severe bleeding or dehydration. Another one is hypoxia, or a low level of oxygen in the blood. And then there’s hydrogen. Too much hydrogen makes the body dangerously acidic, and can be caused by things like sepsis, or kidney failure, or—mmm…” He’d lowered his mouth back down to her neck, and she felt him stroke her throbbing pulse with his tongue. Any other thought died in her head.

  “Go on,” Luke said, continuing his sensual exploration of her neck. He didn’t tell her she’d already passed the test with flying colors. He was just going to play with her now.

  “You’re not being fair, Detective,” Erin murmured, even as she slid her hands into his hair and pulled him closer. “I hope this isn’t how you conduct all your sobriety tests.”

  “No. This is a very unique situation.” Luke dropped one last kiss on her neck, then gave her a devilish smile. “Now where were you? I think you told me three of the H’s. So you’re thirty percent of the way there.” He had her legs pinned between his, and rubbed his thick shaft slowly, eroti
cally between her thighs.

  Erin moved restlessly under him, need pulsing wildly inside her. “Luke, please,” she begged.

  “What are the last two H’s?”

  She groaned, unable to recall either one of them. “I normally know this stuff cold.”

  Luke's devilish smile widened. “I don’t think you’re cold right now.” Then he stopped moving.

  “No, I’m not—oh, and that is one of the H’s. Hypothermia. And the last one is hyperkalemia, or hypokalemia. Either one. They mean a person’s potassium level is way too high or low.”

  “Very good. Now you’re fifty percent of the way there.” Luke skimmed his lips back down her neck to her chest. “So what are the five T’s?”

  Erin started searching her mind for them—until his seeking mouth found one of her aroused nipples, and she forgot what she was even searching for. “I—I can’t…remember,” she breathed. All she wanted to do was feel.

  “Yes, you can, honey,” Luke whispered against her breast. But when her only responses were soft moans, he ended the love play and rested his chin on her chest, waiting for an answer.

  Erin looked down at him. He had that devilish grin on his face again, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You are relentless, Detective.”

  “It’s what makes me good at my job.”

  “You’re good at more than your job. But I don’t think drunk people like you.”

  Luke chuckled. “We’re trying to establish that you’re not one of them.”

  Erin let her head fall back with a smile. “Thrombosis,” she said, staring up at the ceiling. She could concentrate better when she wasn’t looking into his eyes. “That counts for two. Cardiac thrombosis is a blood clot in the heart—a heart attack. And pulmonary thrombosis, that’s a blood clot in the lung.”

  “Now you’re up to seventy percent.” Luke slid down her body, trailing a path of kisses along the way. And when he got to her belly button he swirled his tongue around it, then thrust in and out.

  Erin closed her eyes with a murmur of pleasure and felt logic and reason start to slip from her grasp again. She needed to come up with the last three T’s—and fast. “Tension pneumothorax—like that boy had. And…and tamponade, which is a fluid build-up around the heart.”