9. Theo

Taking a deep breath, I mentally go again over my lines. I need this to be perfect. I"ve already set up the bedroom. I"d taken to the internet for advice on the perfect proposal, and I"d followed all the advice I could find. From candles, to rose petals, and everything to ensure the atmosphere is as romantic as possible.

Bianca should arrive soon, and as I planned, I"ll make her dinner first, and then I"ll bring her to the room.

Fuck, I"m too nervous!

We"d talked about our feelings before, but we haven"t outrightly exchanged I love you"s yet. But tonight is the night. I"ll be handing her my heart on a platter.

The oven beeps, and I hurry to remove the tray. I start arranging the plates when the doorbell rings.

The moment I open the door, my jaw almost drops.

She looks like a goddess. My goddess.

She"s wearing a dusty pink dress that clings to her body, emphasizing her hips and waist. I swallow hard, the sight of her looking so delicious doing little to calm my nerves.

I open my door wider for her, and she gives me a smile as she walks past me, waving a wine bottle. My eyes follow her around, almost glued to her ass.

"You cooked?" She places the bottle on the table, looking around the kitchen.

"Only for you." I come behind her, hands on her hips, and I lay a kiss on her cheek.

"You have to tell me what the occasion is." She sits daintily on the chair, and I stifle a groan, the sight of her enough to make me hard for days.

"You"ll find out." I wink at her and proceed to serve dinner. Opening the bottle of wine, I pour it in our glasses.

"You"re finally of age to drink," I add, amused. Sometimes it"s easy to forget our age difference, since Bianca has a maturity beyond her years. Maybe I"d been a little reluctant to pursue her in the beginning because I"d thought her too young, but I was just biding my time and fooling myself in the process.

Ours is a matter of eventuality. It had taken me one look at her to know she was mine, a little longer to convince myself to go after her, and a hell of a lot longer to court her. But I know she feels the same as I do. It"s in her slight shiver as I touch her, or the light inflection of her voice after I kiss her.

And tonight, she"ll know just how much I love her.

We chat about her week. Since graduation, she"s been working hard to put together a foundation against homelessness, and her project is picking up speed. I"d told her she could do it, and I made sure to support her at every point. I know how important it is for her to do this well, especially since her father seems to be against her working.

Tipping the glass to my lips, my eyes are on her, taking in her beauty — both inner and outer, and I wonder how I"m so lucky.

Out of everyone else in this world, she"s mine and mine alone.

After we"re done eating, we wash the dishes together, and I finally get the courage to ask her to the room.

"I have something for you," I tell her, leading her to my bedroom. Before opening the door, I put my hands to her eyes, steering her to the center of the room, so she"s standing right in front of the strewn rose petals.

"What"s this, Theo?" She giggles softly, and I can"t help myself. I lower my lips to her pulse, skimming the sensitive skin toward her ear before whispering.

"Keep your eyes closed."

I move around so I can face her, and taking out the ring box, I prompt her to open her eyes.

When she does, it"s to see me on one knee, ring out, in front of a row of roses that spells out Will You Marry Me?

She gasps, bringing her hand to her mouth, the corner of her eyes full with unshed tears.

"Bianca Ashby, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" I ask officially, and she jumps on me, tackling me to the floor.

"Yes! Yes!" she cries. "A thousand times, yes!" She brings her arms around my neck, holding onto me tight. "I love you, Theo." She whispers in my hair, and I feel my heart stop.

Fuck!

If this isn"t true happiness, then I don"t know what is.

"I love you too, B. So damn much it hurts," I confess, turning her so I can pepper kisses all over her sweet face. "So much."

Taking the ring out, I slide it up her finger — the perfect fit.

"It"s gorgeous, Theo," she says in awe, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Thank you."

"Only for you, little one. Only for you."

The candles are bathing the room in light, and her face looks even lovelier. I raise my hand to tuck a stray strand of hair, lingering on her cheek. I"d like nothing more than to throw her on the bed and take her hard and fast. It"s not as if I haven"t dreamed about that every single night since I met her. But I can"t do that. I need to control myself and make her first time special.

But first, I have to make sure she"s ready for it. If she"s not, then I"ll wait for as long as she needs, even if that means I"ll be jacking off twice as much.

I move at the same time as she does, and we meet in the middle, our lips slowly caressing each other. I sneak my hand around her waist, bringing her into me and deepening the kiss.

"B . . ." I whisper, breaking apart for a second. "Are you . . ." I trail off, not knowing how to approach this so she doesn"t feel pressured.

"Yes, please," she says shyly, backing up just enough so she can slide the zipper of her dress down and slip it down her shoulders. "I want you, Theo. I want all of you." She"s now wearing only her bra and her panties, and I groan out loud at the sight. I don"t even think as I scoop her in my arms, and take her to the bed, slowly lowering her on to the mattress.

She"s unsure as she tries to cover her exposed skin, and I"m once again reminded that this is new to her, and I need to let her set the pace.

I pull my shirt off and throw it on the floor. Her eyes move greedily over my torso and I"m suddenly glad of my gym schedule. I want her to find me as attractive as I find her.

"The pants?" she asks, her tone breathless. I happily oblige her, leaving my boxer briefs on so I don"t shock her.

I advance toward her and she licks her lips, looking up at me with that innocent gaze of her.

Fuck!

My cock is straining against the confines of my briefs, and I"m fairly sure she can see just how much I want her. But her eyes seem to focus on my face, as if she"s making a conscious effort not to look down.

I take her face between my hands and I proceed to kiss her, nice and slow, enjoying the feel of her — mine for the taking.

Spreading her on the bed and fitting myself on top of her, I proceed to kiss every inch of her skin, wanting to show her just how much I love her, worship her. As I move lower, I snap her bra clasp open and tug it off her. Her hands immediately go to her breasts and she gulps loudly, looking to the side.

"I . . . I"ve never," she starts, her voice full of embarrassment.

"I know. I"ll be gentle, I swear." She nods, turns slightly to look in my eyes.

"I"m on birth control. I . . . I wanted to be prepared," she admits, a blush appearing on her pretty cheeks.

"God, B!" I groan, the idea that she"s been looking forward to this as much as me exciting me to no end. "I"ve always used condoms before, and it was only one other woman," I confess, and her nose scrunches up, a sigh of disappointment escaping her. "Shh, sweet girl." I caress her face. "I wish I waited too. If I knew I"d find you one day, I swear I wouldn"t have touched another woman." I tell her honestly, because when I"m with her, nothing and no one else matters. She"s my future, my everything.

She gives me a tremulous smile, her fingers coming to rest on my cheeks and then tracing my lips.

"I"m glad. You"re the only one for me, Theo. Always." Her words floor and humble me, so I show her just how much she means to me.

I turn my attention back to her body, trailing wet kisses down her neck and toward her breasts before taking one nipple into my mouth. Her mouth forms an o, but she urges me on. I lick and suck, enjoying the myriad of emotions playing on her face. I need her to be as relaxed as possible, her pleasure my foremost goal. I"m not a small man, and for the first time, I"m afraid it might not be as pleasant for her as I know it will be for me.

I move lower, kissing her stomach before reaching her panties. Hooking my fingers through the band, I tug them down her legs, leaving her bare for my view. She tries to close her legs, but I place a finger on her mound, marveling at the softness of her skin.

"Clean shaven," I murmur, surprised.

"I thought you"d like it," her voice is small as she says this, so I quickly assure her I"d like her any way. That she put effort into this, to please me, makes me even happier.

Settling myself between her legs, I inhale her scent, nuzzling her lips with my mouth before diving in for the first taste. I give her a long lick, and she stiffens against me before relaxing once more. Centering the tip of my tongue over her clit, I circle it in slow motions, making her writhe under me, her hands involuntarily seeking my hair. She clutches at my scalp, and I continue, sucking the nub and nibbling it with my teeth. Her moans permeate the air, and pride swells in my chest.

I"m the one giving her pleasure. I"m the one owning her.

I use my fingers to prepare her, feeling her soft tightness and the way she clenches at my digits. Soon, she crashes, her orgasm making her contract all around my fingers, her soft gasps making my dick even harder.

Fuck! I need to take this slow.

Moving up her body, I give her a languorous kiss, using my hands to push down my briefs.

"I"m told this might hurt a little, sweetheart," I tell her, already feeling bad I"m about to cause her pain. I"d read plenty of articles to prepare for this night, wanting everything to be perfect, and Bianca as ready as possible to prevent any discomfort.

"It"s ok. It"s you." She gives me one quick kiss on the lips before urging me to proceed. My hands on her ass, I settle in the v of her legs, my cock brushing ever so softly against the wetness of her pussy. A hiss escapes me at the contact, the promise of pleasure to come.

Taking my cock in one hand, I rub it against her pussy, coating it in her juices before I push the tip in. My eyes are on her face, checking for any sign of discomfort, but she"s watching me just as intently, her mouth open on an unreleased moan.

I move forward inch by inch, letting her get used to my size. A small crease forms between her brows and I still.

"Does it hurt?" I ask immediately, concerned.

She shakes her head. "It"s just new. But I like it." She angles her hips and I slide all the way in. I take a deep breath, now hoping I will last. Her raw heat is almost too much to bear, and I have to stop myself from coming then and there — from one thrust alone.

"God, B. You feel so good," I rasp against her face, my lips seeking hers. I wait until she"s ready and when she gives me a nudge, I start moving again. My arms come around her and I hold her tightly to my chest, driving my cock in and out of her. Her breathing picks up, so I quicken my pace, needing her to come all over my cock.

"Theo," she cries, her nails scratching my back and winding tightly around my neck. "Love you."

"Love you, too, sweetheart. So. Damn. Much," I growl in between thrusts. Her mouth is on mine as her walls grip my cock tightly, spasming around me. She lets out a soft moan, and I follow her, spilling myself inside of her. Relishing the feeling of marking her as mine.

We stay like that for a moment before I withdraw, running to the bathroom to get a washcloth. When I return, I spot a few droplets of blood smeared on her thighs and on the sheet — the evidence of her innocence. I clean her carefully, and she gives me the most satisfied purr.

She"s mine. She"s finally mine.