As connected as he'd let her get.

Luke was sitting back on his shins cradling her body above his. His tongue played with hers, his hands cupped the curve of her ass, the light dusting of hair on his chest tickling her erect nipples as she rocked against him.

Part of her wanted to stay like this forever, but the other part that desperately wanted to ride his hard shaft until they were both crying out in pleasure couldn't be ignored. Using the muscles in her legs, she lifted herself off of his long shaft until only the tip of his head still remained inside, then sank down on him again, as far she could go.

He pulled back from their kiss and captured her gaze.

“Janica.”

She couldn't read his expression, apart from the clear desire he felt for her.

She could feel tears coming again. Dammit, why was she crying every single time they had sex? Why couldn't she just concentrate on how good it felt? On the fact that every one of her sexual fantasies about Luke was coming true?

Ducking her head so that he wouldn't see—even though he already knew she loved him and really, what more was there to give to him?—she was surprised to feel the back of his hand beneath her chin tilting her face back up.

“How can you love me?”

His words were a raw whisper. She was surprised by the depth of pain beneath them, by the fact that he didn't seem to know just how wonderful he really was.

Their bodies still entwined in the most elemental of ways, she raised her hands to his face to run her fingertips over his lips, his jaw, his eyebrows. “Well, you're the most beautiful man I've ever seen, for one.”

But when he frowned, she knew now wasn't the time for teasing, for easy lines she could feed to any guy.

“I love you because you're good.”

Lost in her emotions, she unconsciously shifted her weight on him and as his thick shaft somehow slid in even deeper, on a gasp of pleasure she said, “I love you because you're honest.”

Her nerves endings were on fire, not just at the tips of her breasts, not just between her legs, but also the ones inside her chest, where everything she felt for Luke began and ended.

“I love you because you always took care of my sister and I always knew she was safe with you.”

The tears were falling now, along with spirals of incredible pleasure which were rippling all across her skin. There was nothing she could do to stop either of them.

“I love you, Luke,” she finally whispered in a voice that shook from the powerful sensations taking her over, body and soul, “because of everything you do and everything you are.”

She even loved him despite the fact that she knew he would never love her back, despite the fact that his eyes were dark and unreadable as he listened to her reasons for loving him.

Hating her endless, stupid tears, she fought desperately for control. Wanting to do something, anything to try and guard what was left of her heart, she shifted her weight on his lap to take him deeper.

“And I absolutely love your cock.”

The next thing she knew he'd shifted them so that her hips were right at the edge of the couch. Again and again he drove into her, harder and deeper with each thrust. One of his hands fondled her breasts while the other moved to her clit. All it took was the slightest pressure of his thumb on the hard nub between her legs and she was crying out as a shockingly powerful orgasm took her over, one that almost seemed to radiate out from her heart, rather than her pussy.

She heard him say, “You're amazing, sweetheart” as she was coming down from her climax. And although it wasn't even close to the same thing as being in love with her, at least it was something.

At least he'd called her sweetheart.

She could see how tightly clenched his jaw was, how much effort it had cost him not to come with her. She wished he had, wished he had completely lost control, wanted to know that she could do that to him.

He ground out the words, “I need to pull out.”

“No, you don't.” If he left her now, she'd feel so empty. “I'm on the pill. And I'm safe. I swear I'm safe.” Physically at least.

Because the truth was that she'd just put her own heart in the most dangerous position imaginable.

Even for how huge he already was, she felt him grow bigger at her words, thicker, harder.

“Fuck, Janica, I'm gonna come.”

His rough words, said with such heat, sent a new rush of arousal flooding through her. It wasn't going to be the first time she'd had multiple orgasms.

But she was pretty damn sure it was about to be the very best.

“So am I.” She pulled his mouth down to hers and whispered, “Again,” before she kissed him passionately.

And then, he was fucking her fast and hard and she was fucking him right back, their bodies slamming together. Slick skin sliding against slick skin. Mouths biting, sucking. Hands grabbing, pulling. She felt the first shot of his hot ejaculate against the very back of her vagina and she groaned at the extreme pleasure of taking all of him, his very essence, inside of her. Her body reacted with a flood of moisture in the tightening of her inner muscles around his huge shaft, milking him.

Loving him.

* * *

He never wanted to let her go.

Luke started at his unconscious thought. What the hell was he thinking?

Of course he was going to let her go. Just as soon as he'd worked the craziness out of his system, just as soon as he'd had his fill of her heat, her warmth, she'd return back to her normal life. And he'd return to his.

Things would go back to the way they were supposed to be.

The harsh reality of his thoughts made him suddenly realize his knees were killing him on the hardwood floor. Moving slowly – not wanting to let her go, damn it - he maneuvered them both onto the couch, lying back and pulling her body over his like a blanket. Her head settled in at the crook of his shoulder and they lay there together, both catching their breath.

And despite reminding himself that this lapse with his sexy-as-hell sister-in-law was going to have to come to an end in the very near future, over and over, his brain replayed what she'd said.

I love you because you're good.

I love you because you're honest.

I love you, Luke, because of everything you do and everything you are.

The most amazing thing of all was that she could say those things to him when he wasn't being fair to her. When he wasn't being good. Or honest.