He knelt down-between her now widespread legs.

"Oh, uh..."

"Shhh." Hot lips and a hotter tongue trailed up the inside of her right thigh. "d.a.m.n, you smell good."

Bethany's head dropped back on the mattress. She stared at the ceiling, so rigid with antic.i.p.ation that when his mouth touched between her legs, she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Easy," he whispered, and with his big hands caging her pelvis, he used his thumbs to part her, leaving her fully exposed. His tongue licked over her, in her. She felt his breath, the rub of his whiskery jaw on her tender inner thighs. She felt so much, all of it incredible and mind-blowing.

Never had she imagined anything like it. "Lucius," she practically yelled.

"Yeah?" He drew on her c.l.i.toris, flicked with his tongue, and she knew she would climax again.

"This is my favorite part."

Did she hear him chuckle? She wasn't certain, not with the blood rushing through her veins and her heartbeat sounding in her ears. Her whole body throbbed with her o.r.g.a.s.m, leaving her utterly spent.

She was still buzzing when Lucius put a light kiss on her mouth. That got her eyes opened.

"Hey," he whispered. And then he slid into her. "I already put on a condom," he told her. "All you have to do is relax."

Relax? She couldn't feel her bones, she was so relaxed. But the full, delicious sensation of having him inside her quickly changed that.

Propped on his forearms, watching her intently, Lucius thrust slow and deep, in and out. He was patience personified, although dark color showed on his cheekbones and his eyes glittered brightly. "You wanna come again? Maybe with me, this time?"

Could a man be more amazing? "Oh, Lucius."

He smiled that amazing smile. "Is that a yes?"

"I don't think I can."

He adjusted, moving one hand beneath her derriere, tilting her hips up, sinking deeper.

She gasped.

Satisfied, he rumbled, "I think you can."

He lowered his head and kissed her, stealing what little breath she had so that her head buzzed and her body quivered with sensation. The tension built, tighter this time, almost painfully. He began thrusting faster, harder, rocking the bed and groaning. His mouth ate at hers, voracious, his tongue thrusting in and out-and everything exploded.

Just as she felt herself coming, he stiffened, lifting his mouth away to growl out his release while keeping himself buried deep inside her.

As the pleasure faded, he collapsed against her, breathing hard, his body damp with sweat.

Despite her state of euphoria, Bethany grinned. "Lucius?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm changing my mind."

He pushed up to look at her, his expression dark. "About what?"

"My favorite part." She touched his beloved face. "I think that last one has to be it."

Six.

Hero's wet nose, poking over the side of the bed, woke Bethany the following morning. "Hey, you," she said to the dog while stretching awake. "Where's your lord and master?"

The dog barked and wagged his tail, urging her to leave the bed. She pulled on Lucius's oversized T-shirt and padded barefoot and bare-bottomed out of the bedroom.

Lucius was nowhere to be found, but she located a note on the kitchen counter.

"Gone for donuts. The dog's been out and the coffee is fresh. Stay in bed. I won't be long."

She covered her mouth and giggled, then hugged herself. Last night had been...incredible. The stuff of dreams.

Hopefully, the start of forever.

Lucius hadn't said anything about that, but he'd been so tender, so sweet, she couldn't help but start planning.

The dog whined and scratched at the front door.

"So Lucius took you out, but once wasn't enough? Okay, then. Let me throw on some shorts and get your leash."

The dog scratched again, more anxious, making Bethany curious. "What is it? Is someone out there?" Was Lucius back already?

She put her eye to the peephole. A man stood in front of her sister's door, checking a notepad and the address of the apartment.

Even from the back, she recognized Michael Tracer.

Her stomach bottomed out and her skin went clammy. How had he found her? Hero leaned against her side, offering silent comfort. Marci would be alone, but she wasn't. The dog would protect her.

Before her sister could be disturbed, Bethany jerked Lucius's door open. Trying for a gentle smile that wouldn't look too false, she said, "Mitch. What are you doing here?"

He turned, looked her over, and deep satisfaction settled into his features. "Marci. At last, I've found you."

Hero lurched out past her, snarling, bunching for an attack. Bethany was ready to let the dog attack, until Michael pulled out a gun.

Staring at the dog, he said, "Restrain that beast or he's dead."

"No!" Bethany quickly caught Hero's collar. "Easy, Hero. It's okay."

Glancing around in nervousness, Michael hissed, "Get back inside, right now, before someone hears us."

Having no choice, Bethany held onto Hero's collar, kept her gaze on Michael, and backed into Lucius's apartment. As long as Michael thought she was her sister, she might be able to juggle things to her advantage.

A hand on her shoulder shoved her the rest of the way inside and the door shut behind her. Going to her knees, Bethany hugged Hero close, but the dog refused to be placated. She could barely restrain him.

"Shut him up, Marci, or I will. I mean it."

What to do, what to do?

Maintaining a tight grip on the dog's collar, Bethany surged back to her feet and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the keys from the wall hook. "Let me put him next door. My sister, Bethany, lives there. She watches the dog sometimes, so she won't think anything of it if he's there."

His expression brightened. "I'd love to get the two of you together." A slick, smarmy smile appeared. "It's a favorite fantasy of mine."

Bethany shuddered in revulsion. "She's not home right now." Please, Marci, don't make a liar out of me. Stay in bed just a little longer.

"I could shut up the dog for good."

Stark fear squeezed her lungs. "But someone might hear you. There's no reason to do that. You want to talk to me, right? Why else would you have come looking for me?"

"Yeah, I'm going to talk to you." His grin promised awful things, further rattling her composure.

Bethany concentrated on breathing. "Listen to me, Mitch. I can put the dog next door. He'll be out of the way-and we'll be alone. Please." And when Lucius returned, he'd take care of everything. He'd know what to do.

Michael chewed over her suggestion, waffling between agreement and his hatred of animals, but finally, to her relief, nodded. "Fine. Get rid of him. But don't you dare try to run away from me. If you do, I swear I'll make you sorry-starting with killing the d.a.m.n dog."

"I promise." With the gun trained on her and Hero fighting her, Bethany went across the hall and unlocked the door. Hero resisted, but she managed to get him inside without too much noise. Thank G.o.d, Marci didn't appear in the doorway.

Tight fingers clamped around her arm and Michael yanked her back into Lucius's apartment. He spun her around and smacked her up against the wall, the gun aimed at her chest. "Now, b.i.t.c.h, you'll pay."

Bethany was so terrified that nausea crawled up her throat, and she almost barfed on him. She swallowed several times until she could get her voice to work. "For...for what?"

"Like you don't know."

She shook her head. "I don't."

"Then let me clue you in." He stepped back, and she sucked in a much-needed breath. "I had things all planned out. I had a well-to-do wife lined up who would have given me everything I ever wanted. But you went and made up some d.a.m.n story about me mistreating her stupid mutt."

Good G.o.d. Bethany blinked hard and fast. "You..." She couldn't get any other words out.

"That's right. I'm the one you tattled on. Like that stupid mutt meant anything. It was just a d.a.m.ned dog, and not even a purebred."

Her own surge of anger gave her voice strength. "Dogs are living, breathing creatures! They have feelings and-"

His raised fist halted her tirade. Gasping, Bethany cowered back, but no strike came.

"Oh, no," he said, his tone singsong-gentle as he lowered his arm. "It won't be that easy. You won't get me to lose control."

Far as she could tell, he'd lost control a long time ago. Cautiously, she lowered her arms. "What are you going to do?"

"First I'm going to ruin your life the way you ruined mine. I'm going to expose you for the fraud you are. Then..." He laughed. "I'm going to get rid of you. But don't worry. It'll be painless. I promise."

Yep, that'd definitely ruin her life. The cruel idiot. The only thing Bethany could think to do was keep him talking until Lucius returned. "How...how are you going to expose me?"

"You're going to tell me how you do it, how you get people to believe you're a psychic. You're going to tell me about some of the others you've duped. As your last boyfriend-"

"You were never my boyfriend."

"No one else knows that."

"Bethany does."

"She knows that I wanted you first. That's all. What can she say? That she was second choice?" He laughed. "You'll tell me everything, and in my grief over your death, I'll let it leak to the press. You'll be confirmed as a fraud, in life and in death." He grabbed a bar stool and pulled it around to face her, then seated himself, legs crossed, arms propped loosely with the gun barrel toward her. "Spill it, Marci. I want to know everything."

"Right." A trained SWAT member would know how to handle a lunatic like Michael. She had to believe that. Because if anything happened to Lucius, she'd never forgive herself. "Should I start by sharing a few stories?"

Lucius had spent the time walking to and from the bakery in blissful euphoria. He was in love. And unless Bethany was d.a.m.n good at deception, she cared a lot about him, too. Soon as he woke her up with coffee and sweets, he'd tell her how he felt.

Then he'd propose.

He felt so good, he almost wanted to whistle.

But the second he turned the block and could see the apartment complex, he sensed a problem. He didn't understand it, but alarm bells started going off in his head, and without another thought, he broke into a trot.

He was still several yards away when he saw Marci on the narrow balcony outside her apartment. She had Hero with her.

Her gaze met his and she lifted one finger to her mouth, warning him to silence while frantically signaling him close.

The urge to go straight to his place, to skip the subterfuge and a.s.sure himself of Bethany's safety, burned throughout him. But he had to trust Marci, because he knew she loved her sister.

As he neared, he saw the tears in Marci's eyes.

"Lucius," she whispered, "thank G.o.d you're here."

He dropped the stupid donuts, grasped the balcony railing, and vaulted himself up the few feet to join her. "What's happened? Where's Bethany?"

She shook her head. "I heard some noise and woke up and Hero was here. He's really upset, something about there being a man with Bethany at your place. She had to have shoved Hero over here for a reason, so I didn't want to knock on the door. Instead, I called your apartment. The first time she didn't pick up. But I called back and she answered...as me."

Lucius tangled a hand in his hair. "She's impersonating you?"

Marci nodded. "Which probably means-"

"Michael Tracer has found her, and she hopes to protect you."

"She wouldn't talk to me. She only said that you weren't home and she was busy. Then she hung up." Marci hugged herself, trying to contain her tremors. "I'm so afraid."

Lucius jerked the phone from his waistband and put in a call. Backup would arrive in less than ten minutes, but he couldn't wait that long. "Listen to me, Marci. Do not get hysterical. I need you with me. Do you understand?"

She swallowed hard, and straightened her back. In a calmer voice, she said, "What can I do?"