lexi went to him, needing to soothe him, wanting to touch him. dying to try some of the things helen had told her about.

she ran her hands over his muscled chest and locked her fingers around the back of his neck.

zach's eyes fell shut and he pulled in a deep breath. it pressed the two of them closer, flattening her breasts against his ribs. lexi felt her nipples bead up under the thin lace of her bra.

so did zach.

he let out a nearly inaudible growl of need and grasped her hips in his big hands. "we need to talk," he told her.

"we will. after."

helen said that making the connection with zach would be easier during sex. intimacy and trust helped loosen up the flow of power or something. lexi didn't really understand it, but she was ready to put helen's lesson to good use.

she went up on tiptoe, and pulled zach down so she could kiss him. the first brush of his lips against hers pulled a moan of pleasure from her body, but it wasn't nearly enough. she needed to taste him, to feel the slide of his tongue against hers.

zach didn't make her wait. he bent his head lower and deepened the kiss, parting her lips so she could taste his heat, his need for her. like a starving man, he fed from her mouth, holding her tight so she could feel the restrained strength vibrating in his arms.

when she was breathless, he pulled back just enough to look down at her. desire lit his eyes, making them a luminous green. she hadn't let go of that silver wire and through it, a single pulse of physical need throbbed between them. she hadn't even needed to concentrate. it just happened.

it was working.

she licked her lips and gave him a victorious smile.

zach's eyes zeroed in on her mouth and she saw his pupils widen, felt his grip on her body tighten. "bed," he said, "before i forget to use one."

lexi nodded and zach lifted her up until she was straddling his hips. she felt the thick heat of his erection against her, rubbing her through her jeans. as he carried her back to the bedroom, every step sent a jolt of sensation streaking through her, making her body tighten.

zach laid her down and unbuckled his sword belt. the sword flickered into visibility, glowing in the light from the hall. he hadn't bothered to switch on the light in the bedroom, and she briefly considered turning the lamp on, until he stripped his shirt off over his head.

then lexi wasn't thinking about anything at all other than the beauty of his chest, the breadth of his shoulders, the shadowed ridges of his stomach. the tree on his chest swayed slightly and lexi climbed to her knees on the bed. she pressed her hands against his hot flesh, loving the smooth, hard contours of his body. she couldn't get enough. she could spend a year touching him and it still wouldn't quench her need to feel his skin under her palms.

zach stood there, rigid and still, while she touched him, running her finger over the intricate branches, down the thick trunk until his jeans barred her path.

she looked up at him while her fingers made quick work of the button and zipper. his ribs expanded and contracted as if he'd just finished a long run. a gleam of perspiration shone along his forehead, and his jaw was clenched tight.

lexi pressed a kiss over his navel, swirling her tongue against his skin. his stomach muscles bunched and a dark smile of feminine satisfaction stretched her mouth.

he was all man, and he was all hers.

working the snug jeans down over his lean hips was harder than it would have been without his heavy erection taking up so much room, but she didn't mind the extra effort. it was more than worth the trouble. she didn't stop to help him out of his boots. she couldn't wait that long to get what she wanted.

lexi wrapped her fingers around his penis, reveling in the smooth hardness of his body, the contrast of her paler skin against the light brown of his. even in the dimness, it was easy to see her hand sliding over him. and even if she'd been blind, as soon as she heard his low groan of enjoyment, she would have known she'd done it just right.

concentration was difficult, but lexi was determined to make this work. she found that silver wire that lay there, forgotten in her mind, and gave it a hard tug.

a wave of raw lust filled her up, making her suck in a harsh breath. his lust, pure and potent, so ferocious she had no idea how he could stand it. lexi's head fell to his abdomen and she shut her eyes, trying to find enough sanity to remember what she'd been doing. it was important. she'd had some kind of plan; she just wasn't sure what it was.

she smelled the male heat of his skin, the muskiness of his need for her. inside her tight grip, zach's erection throbbed, making her go liquid. the silver wire between them shimmered.

power. she was trying to reach zach's power. sex helped. intimacy helped even more.

right. lexi remembered now. she could do this. in fact, she'd never wanted to do anything more in her life as much as she wanted this.

"lie down," he told her.

not part of her plan. lexi shook her head, letting her hair brush over his hip. "not yet."

she felt his aggression swell and knew she was about to lose control over her carefully choreographed plan. before he could take over, lexi took his erection into her mouth, letting him sink deep.

zach hissed in pleasure, and his whole body clenched tight. his palms cradled her head, his fingers sliding convulsively over her scalp.

she eased back, letting him slide almost free. her mouth watered as she swirled her tongue over him, drawing a gasp from his powerful body. he tasted good. hot, male-an intoxicating combination of need and hunger only she could fulfill.

her own body ached, but what she wanted was more important than pleasure. she wanted hope, the promise of being what zach needed most. a partner.

the luceria vibrated around her throat, heating more with every stroke of her lips and tongue over his hard flesh. she could feel something beautiful hovering just beyond reach, only a hairbreadth away. that something shimmered and pulsed, flooding her vision with color and light. beautiful jade green, like zach's eyes, so full of promise she could almost taste it.

lexi reached for it, struggling to stay focused.

her head spun, and the rich taste of zach's body disappeared. she heard a tearing sound. cool air assaulted her skin and when she opened her eyes to figure out what had gone wrong, she found herself on her back, her shirt ripped open down the front, zach's frantic fingers undoing her jeans.

this wasn't at all what she had planned.

"zach, wait," she said.

he stilled and looked at her, his face tight with unsated lust. she saw his mouth work as if he were trying to find words, but none came out. instead, she felt the luceria tremble; then she was filled with a rush of desire so jagged and hard it ripped through her, making her cry out against the force of it.

her body shuddered, and her eyes rolled back in her head. pure, raw pleasure streaked through her body, pooling in her womb, pushing her to the edge of orgasm. she wasn't big enough to hold so much sensation. it didn't give her any room to breathe.

and she didn't care.

before she had time to adjust to so much feeling, zach gave her more. she felt it stretch their connection, making the luceria heat under the strain. and then all thoughts of plans and connections were driven from her mind as a bubble of pleasure burst inside her, making her come.

she rode the waves of sensation, letting them drag her along, taking them where they pleased. she thought the power might tear her apart, but instead, it cradled her and eased her back down to reality when it was through buffeting her about.

her eyelids were heavy, but she forced them open. zach was poised above her, supporting his weight so that his arms bulged with muscles. she felt the head of his erection press against her core and she was so slick and soft he slid in easily. her body stretched to accept him without complaint. in fact, every inch of ground he gained made her loose limbs coil with a new stirring of desire.

lexi's breath still hadn't evened out from her orgasm, and already, he was driving her toward another. if she didn't act fast, she was going to lose her opportunity to strengthen their bond.

zach moved inside her, seating himself deep. she could feel his heartbeat throbbing in his erection, see it pounding in the vein along his neck. his eyes were open, a sexy, slumberous green, watching her. she saw his throat work as if he were trying to speak; then in the midst of all his churning lust, she felt a subtle flutter of concern slide into her.

he was worried about her.

she offered him what she hoped was an encouraging smile and said, "i'm fine. better than fine."

he gave a satisfied nod and closed his eyes in relief. without further hesitation, his powerful muscles bunched and flexed as he set a steady rhythm.

lexi ground her teeth, trying to stay focused on her task, but it was nearly impossible. his need for her was flowing into her like water, his body filling her up, driving her higher. she couldn't concentrate or remember what helen had told her to do. not anymore. there was too much feeling inside her to leave her any room to think.

defeated, but in the sweetest way imaginable, lexi gave in and let go. she drove her fingers through zach's silky hair and pulled his head to her. she kissed his mouth, his jaw, down his neck. every touch of her lips to his skin was rewarded with a deep sound of pleasure. every flick of her tongue filled her up with his intoxicating taste.

her man. all hers.

zach cupped her breast, pinching her nipple between two fingers. erotic currents streaked through her body, making her arch her hips into his thrusts.

her body trembled, weak from stress and blood loss, but lexi ignored the tremors. zach's body tightened and he sped the pace, shifting so every stroke hit just the right spots. her world spiraled down to the minute space between their straining bodies and the sizzling jolts of electricity that arced between them.

a deep rumble shook zach's chest, resonating inside lexi. he wrapped his arm around her hips, held her still and thrust deep and hard inside her. she felt his erection swell and pulse, felt the heat of his release fill her as tiny sparks danced along her limbs.

it was too much. she couldn't take any more sensation. all that coiled tension sprung free and ricocheted inside her body as the climax tore through her.

light danced in her vision and she felt the warmth of sunlight engulf her, sweeping her away.

minutes later, though she had no idea how many, she found enough strength to open her eyes. zach was draped over her, his breathing slowing. sweat cooled her body where currents of air touched her. everywhere else she was warm and utterly content.

zach seemed to be in no hurry to move, and she liked him there. he was careful with his weight so he didn't crush her, but solid enough she felt protected beneath him. her hip joints had been pushed to their limits, making room for his big body between her thighs, but even that ache was a pleasant one.

her head still spun, but it had cleared enough for her to remember the goal of her seduction, such as it was. zach hadn't exactly made it a challenge.

the notion that he was so easy, that he wanted her so much, made her smile.

in the dim quiet of the room, their bodies sated and happy, lexi reached out, struggling to access zach's power. so far, she'd figured out how to pull feelings from him, but she hadn't been able to send them back, nor had she been able to find that ribbon of energy helen described. it was as if the connection between them was broken.