A few hours later Danny was bathed, changed and fast asleep in his bed. I watched him sleep, drawing peace from the easy way he slept, with no fear and no concerns. My finger reached over and stroked down the length of his nose and I felt warmth in my chest as his little nose scrunched up in response.

Yet, in the pit of my stomach, nerves started to enter in. Lucius would be here at any moment. It sent my pulse racing in a dizzying combination of excitement and dread. The waiting was worse than anything. Doubts entered my mind. Not about Lucius – I knew that I loved him with everything that I had within me. I wanted to take the next step with him. We had been together yet apart for so long it only felt natural that we would take this step together.

It didn't stop me from being the average self-conscious woman. I had only ever been with one other person and I knew that most of the memories I had of that time were fabrications. It almost felt like I was still a virgin waiting to experience it all for the first time.

A knock sounded on the door. I gasped, my head whipping around just as the door opened. And then there was Lucius, standing there in the doorway. As soon as he spotted me, he waggled his brows and beckoned me to him.

Snorting back a laugh, I gave one last lingering glance at my son and then rose to meet Lucius. I placed my hand into his waiting palm, hoping he couldn't felt the nervous tremble as we walked. We walked just a few feet down the hallway before Lucius pushed open the door. I sucked in a sharp breath of surprise when we entered the room. Flower petals had been spread over the floor, spread in a path up to the bed. Soft light filtered around the room before dozens of tactically placed crystals.

"Did you do all of this?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, of course." He replied, shutting the door softly behind us.

My heart thudded as I heard the lock click into place. The sound was so final. This was it. It's really going to happen.

Sensing my nerves, Lucius rubbed up and down the length of my arms. "We don't have to do anything. I have no expectations. After everything that has happened, the only thing I want to do is hold you close and spend time with you."

I breathed out a sigh. "And I want the same. I'm just nervous." I bit my lip and peered up at Lucius. "I want to be with you. When you were missing, I've never been so scared in my entire life. It's just ... it's been a long time since I have been this close to anyone. After everything we've been through, I am still a normal woman with insecurities. I still worry about being naked in front of you – I worry about letting you see everything."

Lucius leant forwards and pressed a kiss to my forehead. I closed my eyes and leant into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body, the tenderness of his touch and the scent of his skin. He lips brushed across the bridge of my nose in a slow teasing slide and then his lips met mine. I shivered as I felt the warmth and tingles spread through my body at the simple touch.

He pulled away and held my face between the palms of his hands, keeping my head tilted up so I could look at nothing but him. It felt overwhelming, being this close and knowing what we were about to do.

"You have nothing to worry about, Savannah. I think you are the most beautiful woman I have seen in my life."

I blushed and tried to look away but his hands held me firmly in place. Lucius lips quirked up into the smallest of smiles but there was no denying the sincerity within his gaze.

"Any scars and marks you have are just badges of honour from the life you have led. I don't need or want anyone else. You are perfect for me and I love you, just as you are." Lucius declared earnestly, his eyes glowing as he spoke so I knew the truth of his words.

Emotion swarmed through me and I released a shaky breath, bringing up one of my hands to cover his. I closed my eyes and turned my face so that I could press a kiss to Lucius's hand. "Thank you." I murmured, taking his hand and lacing my fingers through his. "I love you too. Just the way you are."

Before any more words could said, I leant forwards brushed my lips over his. The familiar and all-consuming tingle coursed through my body. I revelled in the sensation enjoying the heat that flooded through my veins.

As we kissed, standing there in the middle of the room, I arched my head to the side as the fingertips of his right hand trailed from my cheek, slowly stroking down the column of my neck and then gently caressed back and forth over my collarbone. A shiver coursed through me as his fingers brushed over the sensitive spot on my neck, over and over again making me feel like putty in his hands.

Using our joined hand, he pulled me closer still so that my entire body was pressed against his. I could feel every part of him, from the strong muscled column of his legs to the hardness of his chest which protected the heart I loved so much. And yet it didn't feel close enough.

I stood up on to my tiptoes using my free hand to wrap around his neck, threading my fingers into his hair. As soon as his tongue teased my bottom lip, I parted my lips to grant him entrance. He deepened the kiss, his taste invading my mouth as his tongue brushed against mine. I groaned loudly, his mouth swallowing the sound. Leaning into his body, I gave back just as passionately.

We kept kissing right up until my lungs were pleading for me to breathe, I continued to try and get closer to him. Now that we were finally giving in to what had been denied for so long, desperation kicked in. But my lungs burned. I pulled away, gasping as I drew in a deep lungful of air. Even as I fought to control my breathing, I couldn't stop my hands from wandering; touching and caressing every inch of Lucius I could reach.

Lucius peppered kisses along the side of my neck and then, when he got to that particularly sensitive spot, he sucked and nibbled on the skin. A soft moan escaped my lips as I titled my head further to the side, my eyes fluttering under the delicious sensation. Unable to stop them, my hands made quick work of the buttons on his shirt. My fingers trembled ever so slightly as they worked, my heart beating faster as I longed to feel his bare skin.

As the last button came undone, I roughly pushed the shirt from his shoulders and ripped it down the length of his arms.  Discarding it to the floor, my eyes hungrily drank in every inch of his skin. Leaning forwards, I pressed kisses to the unhealed marks from his recent battles and the old silvered scars on his battered skin, showing how much I cared with every press of my lips.

"Bed now." Lucius grunted as my lips brushed an old silvered scar next to his navel.

I tilted my head up and peered up at him through my lashes. I thought I would have felt at least a morsel of fear being in such a vulnerable position but the expression on Lucius' face kept my fears at bay.

He leant down, placed one arm under my knee and the other around my back as he scooped me up into his arms. A gasp escaped my lips as I hurriedly wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on to him tight as he carried me the last few feet towards his bed. 

And then I was flying through the air, laughter escaping my lips as I bounced down on to the mattress. Lucius stood beside the bed, his kiss-swollen lips pulled up into a rakish grin. Our eyes met and I felt it within my heart and soul that this was the right decision. I had never been so sure about anything in my life.

Holding out my hand to him, I whispered huskily, "Come to me Lucius."

Needing no further prompting, Lucius leapt on to the bed with a playful growl. Then he was kissing me, his body blanketing mine as his threaded his fingers through mine and pinned my arms above my head.  I sunk into the pillows under our combined weight. I didn't have time to indulge in worries about my body, I just allowed myself to feel. And then we were skin to skin, kissing and touching one another as our soft sighs filled the air around us.

It felt different to anything I had experienced in my life. It wasn't just sex. It felt like I was sharing everything I had. My body, my heart, and my soul were bared to Lucius and he made me feel loved and treasured in return. We stared into one another's eyes the entire night, only looking away when it all became too much and our eyes closed on instinct.

When we finally slumped down in exhaustion, I rolled over and laid my head on his sweat slicked chest. I could hear his heart beating; it was racing fast but as the minutes passed it slowed down into a steady soothing beat. I turned my head and pressed a lingering kiss to his sticky skin before sighing happily. His hand absently stroked up and down the length of my back. I fought against sleep. I didn't want the moment to end.

My eyes had their own ideas and they fluttered closed, lethargy weighing down my entire body. I gave up and allowed my body to relax into Lucius's hold, one of his hands clasping mine and the other laying possessively across my back. A sigh of bliss escaped my lips as I felt myself drifting in and out of consciousness. 

Just before I fully succumbed to sleep, Lucius whispered against my hair, "I love you Savannah and I'm never letting you go."

My lips pulled up into a smile and I snuggled further into his hold with a happy sigh I was sure I continued to smile even as I slept because I had never felt happier. I had waited my entire life to experience it, but I finally knew what it felt like to be complete.