Fortunately, I'd already been planning on a bit of after dinner seduction before he announced that he would be leaving. There was no reason I couldn't still follow through with my plans. If the way he'd kissed me when he'd first seen me in the dress was any indication, it wouldn't take much to convince him for one last tryst.

"When I was out shopping..." My voice sounded loud in the silence, but I kept going. "I'd thought about buying some cute chocolates and having you eat them off of me."

That got his attention. His head snapped up, a piece of chicken halfway towards his mouth.

"But since you can't have sugar or carbs"

"I like chocolate," he interrupted, his eyes darkening.

I held up my hand and gave him a sultry smile. "So, instead, I got this sugar free chocolate powder dust that you can brush all over me...and lick off." My brow was high and rounded as I added with a coy shrug, "If you want to, that is."

His fork clattered against his plate as he dropped it, chicken and all. I was only halfway to my feet when he grabbed my arms and lifted me the rest of the way, our mouths crashing together.

"Show me."

The words were almost a growl and the sound twisted things low inside me. I was suddenly very glad I'd found that chocolate powder.

I walked over to the kitchen counter where I'd unpacked everything earlier and picked up the chocolate powder. The box contained a canister of powder, and a small feather duster for easy and sensual distribution of the powder. It was sold as a kit, specifically for sex play. I found it at a small little boutique filled with exotically scented soaps and lotions. It even came with a small, silk, chocolate brown, drawstring pouch for storing the feather duster for future use, which made me smile at the thought of those future uses.

I opened the box and set each item out on the counter. When I turned, Luke was right there in front of me, just a few inches away, heat and desire radiating off of his body. I thought he'd take the powder, but he didn't. Instead, he scooped me up and carried me a few feet into the living room and set me down on the worn carpet. Okay, now I was confused.

"This way, we don't have to worry about making a mess," he said as he knelt next to me.

"I can change your sheets when we're done." The words popped out.

The smile he gave me made my breathing quicken. "I don't want you to change the sheets," he said. He leaned down and put his mouth against my ear. "I want you to sleep in my bed, surrounded by my scent. When I'm lying in bed at night, somewhere else, I want to know that the same sheets I'd had wrapped around me last night are touching your body when I can't."

Oh, my god. A hot shiver ran down my body. I wasn't going to argue with that.

"Now, let's get to dessert." He sat back on his heels and popped open the lid from the tin cansister.

I slid my hands under my dress, lifting my hips so that I could slide off my now-wet panties. Luke made a sound in the back of his throat as I held them up, then tossed them to one side. I took it he liked the matching panties after all, though they never stayed on long.

"I don't want to ruin my pretty new dress," I said with a smile.

He set the powder aside and hooked his fingers under the straps of my dress. One tug brought the top down, exposing my breasts. He stared at me for a moment, the hunger in his eyes having nothing to do with food. I wondered if he was going to forget the chocolate and just have his way with me right there, but he didn't. Instead, he started to pull on the dress again and I moved to accommodate him, letting him peel the fabric from my body. He threw the dress towards the panties and then handed me a pillow from the couch.

"Lay back."

I did as I was told, using the pillow to prop my head up enough for me to be able to see. Luke stood and slowly undressed, his eyes on me as I watched. Most people think of fighters as brutes, people who are all strength and force, but there was a grace to Luke's movements that made his actions unbelievably sensual. His pants and shirt joined my dress and then, with a devilish grin, he lowered his boxer-briefs. He was only half-hard, but still big enough to be impressive. I ran my tongue out along my bottom lip and his eyes flashed fire.

"Oh, you wicked girl, "he teased. "Tempting as that is, I'm waiting for the chocolate. He went back to his knees and picked up the opened canister of chocolate powder and then the feather duster.

I watched as he first dipped the edges of the feathers ceremoniously into the powder. Then he swirled and stirred; watching for my reaction, building the anticipation and making me wait for it. Finally, he set the canister down and leaned forward over me, starting at my collarbone, and feathered the powder across my chest. He drew it in wide sweeping s-curves from side to side and then down my stomach. When he got to my breasts, he reloaded the duster with copious amounts of powder and continued. Those he covered again and again, twirling right around each nipple as he went until every last millimeter of skin was covered. I closed my eyes and almost giggled. It didn't really tickle; it felt delightful. He put it on my hands and fingers, letting it fly into the air until it fell even onto the carpet. My eyes popped open. It didn't matter.

Then he started down my legs. I closed my eyes again and wiggled in anticipation. I wanted to feel the next sensation as purely as possible. He sprinkled the powder on my hips and thighs, then nudged my legs apart. He teased, at first, circling the feathers everywhere but where I wanted, then I flushed as he finally sprinkled the powder between them. He then came back up my body and swept a duster full of chocolate across my mouth. I resisted the urge to lick my lips. I wanted him to do it for me.

He put the lid back on the powder and set the feather duster aside. He lowered his head and lightly pressed his lips against mine. When he lifted his head enough for me to be able to see his face, he licked his lips and his face lit up. Apparently, it was as good as I'd hoped. This time, when he leaned forward, he ran his tongue across my lips, first the lower, then the upper. Only when he'd found all of the powder did he press his tongue against the seam of my lips. I opened my mouth and tasted chocolate. He kissed me slow and deep, letting me enjoy the sweetness.

"Now," he said as he broke the kiss. "I'm going to have my treat."

Lips and tongue moved across my skin. He cleaned my collarbone first, sending shivers of anticipation through me, but then didn't move to my breasts. Instead, he lifted my right hand and sucked on each of my fingers. I moaned as he swirled his tongue around each digit. I'd never realized that could feel so good. When he switched to the other hand, I reached out and let my fingers caress his thigh. The muscles twitched beneath my fingers and it made me smile.

"Ahh." My eyelids fluttered as Luke's mouth was suddenly on my stomach.

The tip of his tongue teased at my bellybutton before he made a trail over my chocolate-coated skin up between my breasts. My hands curled into fists. Dammit. I hadn't realized how torturous this would be for me. My entire body was on fire. Luke's tongue was hot against my already overheated flesh as he circled my breasts. He moved so slowly that it was all I could do not to dig my fingers into his hair and put him where I wanted him.

Then his lips closed over my nipple and I cried out. My back arched as he began to suck, thoroughly cleaning off every trace of the sweet powder. He wasn't touching me anywhere else, so every fiber of my being was focused on that singular point of pleasure. When he switched to the other one, I was panting. I moaned as he skillfully used his teeth, lips and tongue to build the pressure deep inside me. I was so close that, for a moment, I thought I'd climax just from his mouth on my breasts, but then he stopped. I whimpered in protest.

He chuckled as he licked his way back down my body. The laughter was deep and rough, the kind of laugh that a man makes when he's pleased with how his woman responded to his touch.

I squirmed as he took the powder from my stomach and hips, always stopping just short of where I wanted him. I wasn't entirely sure when I'd started to beg him, only that at some point, I was aware that I was saying, "please" over and over again.

The first pass of his tongue over my skin made me cry out and the second made me come. My orgasm didn't stop him, though. He plunged his tongue inside me and I surrendered, too far gone to wonder if the neighbors could hear me. I could feel the carpet burning against my skin as I writhed. Only his hands on my hips kept me still enough for him to send me rolling from one climax into another.

My eyelids were still fluttering as I felt his mouth leave me and his body brushed over me. He slid up so that we were face to face. His cock brushed against my hip as he bent his head to kiss me. I tasted chocolate and me as his tongue explored my mouth. I waited for him to take me then, but he didn't. Instead he rolled off of me.

I blinked at him, confused. Then he picked up the canister and duster again and grinned at me. He took off the cap, twirled the feather tips into the powder and began to sprinkle powder on his now fully erect shaft. My mouth watered and my stomach tightened. I started to sit up but he shook his head. I was puzzled, but stayed where I was. When he put his knees on either side of my chest I understood. I knew, in theory, how this would work, but I'd never done it this way before. I'd never trusted anyone enough to do it, but I trusted Luke completely I put my hands on his hips, my fingers curving around to his firm ass, but let him move. I opened my mouth and he slid between my lips. He moaned as I swirled my tongue around him, tasting the unique combination of chocolate and him. When I started to suck, determined to get every last molecule of powder, he sucked in a sharp breath of air through clenched teeth and said, "Fuck, that's good." More of him entered my mouth and I could no longer explore as I had been. He was too thick. Instead, he began to thrust, letting the powder rub off against my tongue, my lips. I timed my breathing as he moved deeper and hoped he wouldn't try to make me take it all. I wasn't sure I could.

Just when my jaw was starting to ache, he drew back. I flexed my fingers on his ass, keeping him close enough that I was able to lick the remaining powder from his soft skin. He slid his hand behind my head and gripped my hair, tilting my head up so that he could kiss me. It was hard and fast, and then he was using his hand in my hair to turn me over.

I got onto my hands and knees and he tossed my hair to one side. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him sprinkling the chocolate powder down my spine. I dropped my head and closed my eyes, absorbing the sensations as his tongue moved across my ass and then up my back. His body was curled over mine when he pressed his mouth against my ear.

"I'm going to fuck you now."

His words made me shiver.

"I'm going to fuck you until you scream, and then I'll know that while I'm away, you'll remember what it felt like to have me inside you."

I couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. What do you say when someone tells you that? I didn't have the time to try to formulate a response because, suddenly, he was there, pushing against my entrance. I had a second to think that I wasn't stretched enough and then he was pushing inside and I didn't care that I was too tight. He had one hand beneath me, rubbing my clit as he filled me, and I couldn't think about anything but the intense pleasure coursing through my body.

He barely paused after he was completely inside, taking a moment only to move his hands to my hips, and then he began to pound into me. The carpet scraped the skin from my palms and knees, and each thrust drove the air from my lungs. I could feel the sheer, raw power of the man behind me and knew that, as hard as he was fucking me, he was holding back because he didn't want to hurt me.

He leaned over me, changing the angle so that his strokes weren't coming in as hard, but now he was rubbing against new places and I moaned. His hands slid around my body again, one returning to that sweet spot between my legs and the other paying attention to my breasts. His lips pressed against the place where my neck met my shoulder and I felt him suck skin into his mouth. There were too many sensations at once, too many things to feel. My body and mind couldn't process them all.

And then he bit down on my neck and it was one thing too many. I hadn't thought he was serious when he said he was going to make me scream, but as a violent orgasm tore through me, I did. I could hardly recognize the sound that came out of mouth as my arms and legs buckled. Only his arms around me kept me from falling, face-first, into the carpet. He pushed himself into me deeper than before and came with a groan, his hot breath beating against the back of my neck.

We tumbled to the floor, our bodies still connected, as we rode the waves of pleasure that kept washing over us. I didn't know how long we stayed there, only that neither of us moved until the sweat dried on our bodies and I shivered from the chill. Luke shifted, rolling over to grab his shirt, and pulled it over my head. I snuggled into it, grateful that I still didn't have to move. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back against his still-naked body.

"Did you enjoy your dessert?" I asked.

"Very much." He pressed his lips against the hollow under my ear, sending a tingle of pleasure through me.

"So it'll be enough that you won't forget me while you're gone?" I tried to make the question teasing, but it didn't come out quite right.

Luke slid his hand under his shirt and cupped my breast. His thumb brushed over the nipple and I made a sound of pure enjoyment.

"That's the problem, isn't it?" he murmured in my ear. "I can't stop thinking about you." He paused, then turned the question back on me. "What about you? Did I do what I intended? Make it so you won't forget me?"

I laughed. "I don't know if I can walk right now, so I'd say you made an impression."

He laughed, too, then sobered. "I don't know if I can go three weeks without you, Dani."

I rolled over to face him. "You have to focus, Luke. This is bigger than you and me."

He nodded. "I know." His hands cupped my bare ass and pulled me tighter against him. A mischievous light came into his eyes. "You know," he said. "I've never been one to follow my coach's advice all the time."

My heart leaped and his words gave me hope.

"I can't make any promises and I can't give you specific dates or times," he continued. "But I can try to sneak off once in a while." He paused, an uncertain expression on his face. "If you want me to."

I ground my hips against his, making him hiss as I rubbed against his oversensitive flesh, and said, "I always want you."

Chapter Nineteen.

Luke I delivered another right hook, then spun out to kick Frankie in the chest. I couldn't hear the air rush out of his lungs over the sounds of the gym, but I saw him stagger back, gasping for air. I took a step forward and gave him an undercut that sent him to the mat, eyes rolling to the back of his head. I stood over him, bouncing, shifting my weight from side to side, waiting to see if he'd get up, but he didn't. He wasn't out cold, but it was close.

"Fuck, yeah!" Joe climbed under the ropes. "That's what I'm talking about." He slapped my shoulder. "See, I told you. Stay away from the pussy and you'll do better."

I wasn't dumb enough to tell him I hadn't completely stopped seeing Dani. That would make him extra grouchy. And when Joe was grouchy, I paid for it.

Besides, it wasn't like I was seeing her all the time. Most nights, I crashed with one of my friends or rented a hotel room. I thought about her then, but it wasn't the all-consuming near-obsessiveness that had distracted me right after she'd arrived. I was able to focus because I knew she was nearby, safe, and waiting for me.

Like tonight.

"Coach." I tried to keep my tone casual. "Is it okay if I split early? One of my buddies, Pete, talked about going to see that new zombie movie that just came out." Pete was another guy I sometimes crashed with, but I knew him from the old neighborhood, not the gym, so there was no chance of Coach and him meeting. "You should come with us."

A movie was the perfect cover. I could ask Coach to come along, which would keep him from suspecting I was actually going to see Dani. I didn't have to worry about him accepting because the last time Joe went to a movie was in nineteen something or other, when Sylvester Stallone played Rocky.

He took the bait. "That's too young and crazy for me. Too much blood and violence."

I had to laugh at that. "And what we do in MMA isn't bloody and violent?"

Joe raised an eyebrow at me. "Yeah, but this is real. That stuff in the movies is fake, like ketchup."

I grinned at his logic. "So you don't want to see it because it's not real?"

He flipped me off, a gesture of affection in Joe's book. "Whatever. Just get the hell out of here."

I started towards the locker room.

Joe called after me, "Be sure to get a good night's sleep. We have a hard day of work tomorrow."

I tossed my sweaty training clothes into my gym bag and headed for the showers. Already, I was thinking ahead to tonight, images of Dani's lips, her breasts with hard nipples and her sweet spot when she opened her legs for me-yeah, fuck yeah, that, too. It all swirled in my head. It had been three days since I'd seen Dani and that was too much, It was all making me a little crazy, but knowing I was going to see her tonight had kept me focused through the day. But one more day?-hell, I wouldn't have been able to concentrate.

I let the hot water run over me, closing my eyes as it washed away the day's work. Dani's face appeared immediately. It seemed like every time I closed my eyes, she was there, waiting, her eyes shining, her mouth curved up into a smile. We were going out to eat and then to the hotel room I'd rented for the past two nights. To everyone else, it looked like I was just trying to conserve my money, but I'd kept myself moving around so that Bruno would have a harder time keeping tabs on me. The last thing Dani and I needed was for one of his goons to see us together. I could probably pass her off as a groupie I was using for a little stress relief, but not if they saw us together more than once. I didn't do the girlfriend thing and they all knew that.

Or, at least, I hadn't, until Dani. I'd never met anyone like her before. I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair as I thought about her. We clicked in so many ways. I'd never met someone I'd felt so at ease with. And then there was the sex. I'd never been with a woman who'd responded to my touch the way she did. Sure, some of them faked it, but not her. The sounds she made...just thinking about them was enough to get me hard.

A noise made me open my eyes and I realized Frankie was in the locker room. He'd be coming to the showers in a couple minutes. I looked down. Shit. With an erection in the shower I'd be open game for Frankie's lame cock jokes. I turned away from the entrance and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around my waist as he stepped in.

He flung his towel over the top edge of the partition wall and spun the round faucet to start the shower. "Nice hit," Frankie said as I passed him.

I nodded, angling my body so that he couldn't see the way my towel tented in front of me. At least Frankie wasn't much of a conversationalist. He usually limited his speech to one- to two-word sentences; either a compliment or an insult, with an occasional, "fuck that" thrown in for good measure.

My phone buzzed as I changed into my jeans. I glanced around to make sure no one else was around and read Dani's message. She was already at the restaurant and wanted to know how long I'd be.

"On my way. Be there in ten." I tapped out my reply, then pocketed my phone. I pulled on my shirt, grabbed my bag and headed out.

We'd chosen a restaurant just a few blocks from the gym, a tiny, out of the way place that I was sure Bruno didn't know about. Being Italian, Bruno stuck to the restaurants of his heritage by choice, and the food here was Greek so chances were, he wouldn't bother us here. It was the perfect combination of casual and fancy. I loved the food, the atmosphere and I wanted to show it to Dani. I hoped she'd love it, too.

Dani had already ordered water for us both and an appetizer that fit with my strict food guidelines. I could barely concentrate on the menu with her sitting in front of me, looking amazing in that green dress. All I could think about besides food was getting her out of that dress. Hmm. Food and sex; the perfect combination for any man.

"So, Coach hasn't caught on that we're still seeing each other?"

I could tell she'd wanted to ask me that for a while. I looked up at her as I set my menu aside. "He has no clue," I assured her. "But, in a way, he was right. Seeing you every day would've been a big distraction. I've done much better this last week and a half. My punches are faster and my timing's spot on."

I took a drink of my water and thought about a day in the future, when I could take Dani to a really nice restaurant, not a middle of the road place like this and not in secret, and we'd order wine instead of water. Very soon...

The reality drew my thoughts back to the present. I set my glass down and said, "I might actually have a shot at beating that son of a bitch, The Butcher." I reached out my hand towards her. "But then, without seeing you, touching you, I would have been a mess." She wrapped her fingers around mine. "In all honesty, I wouldn't have stayed if we couldn't see each other at all. It would've been too painful and difficult to be in your apartment." Her voice lowered and my blood ran straight south. "The scent of you everywhere. And not be able to see you."

I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. If our positions had been reversed and I'd been surrounded by her things, the smell of her soap, of her, and not be able to have her...I probably would have gone bat shit crazy and done something stupid, like putting my fist through a wall.

I leaned back, releasing her hand as the waiter came over and took our orders. It was a good thing he'd interrupted us, because if he hadn't, I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop myself from dragging Dani into the bathroom and fuck her right there. By the time the waiter left, I was able to turn the conversation to safer topics. There'd be time for the other stuff later.

"So, how is it, by the way?" When she gave me a puzzle look, I clarified. "The apartment. Still standing?"

She grinned at me. "Well, it's no longer a bachelor pad. It's all feminized. Except, of course, Lacey's room. I didn't touch that. It was perfect as is."

I narrowed my eyes, wild images of ruffles and floral prints dancing through my mind. "What do you mean by feminized? Did you add more to the place than last time? Are there pink pillows on the couch? Did you bring in a brood of cats to lie around the place?" I arched an eyebrow to indicate the humorous intent of my last remark. In all seriousness, I didn't give a shit about what she may have done to my apartment. I was just glad she was there.

She laughed lightly. "No. I made a few changes, but nothing extreme. I think you'll like it."

I reached across the table and took her hand again, squeezing it. "I can't wait to see it."

We kept the conversation light as we ate. There was still so much we didn't know about each other that it was easy to move from one topic to the next while avoiding all the drama that surrounded our lives right now. When we finished and waited for the waiter to return with my change, however, the tone shifted and something more intense flared through my voice. Don't get me wrong; I loved talking to Dani and spending time with her, but my body ached for her and I was powerless to resist.

"Ready to go?" The question sounded casual, but I could see the smoldering flame in her eyes matched the one in mine.

"Let's go back to your apartment," she said. There was an urgency in her step as we walked towards the door. "You can see what I've done with it and you can sleep in your own bed for once. You must be tired of staying in hotels and sleeping on other people's couches."

God, I wanted to. If she only knew how much I wanted to do that. Dani was right; I hated hotels...and couches. And I actually missed my dreary little apartment, but even more so now with Dani there. I wanted to take her back to the apartment so I could see how she'd left her mark on it, and then I wanted to leave a mark on her. When we'd said our good-byes after the last time we'd been together, she'd whispered in my ear, "Next time, I want your mouth to mark my body."