Chapter Twelve

Tanner

Zara's in my arms, and she doesn't want to wait anymore. That's what she just said. I made her repeat it because I had to be sure. But now I am. We're in her room, and I can't stop kissing her. I don't want to, either. I've spent the last two days feeling so damn lost without her, and now we're back, I'm whole again. Snatched conversations and text messages haven't been enough for me, no matter how good it was to hear her say she needed to be with me. I needed more. I needed the reality of holding her in my arms, my lips on hers, her body crushed to mine. Is that why I ordered the cowboy hat on Friday night, and paid a small fortune for express delivery? Was it less about romance, and more about tempting her? Maybe. Although if she'd said she still wanted to wait, I would have done.

She breaks the kiss, snatching in a lungful of air, and I lower her to the floor, holding her body tight against mine.

"You're sure about this?" I whisper, and she nods her head.

"I'm positive. Why? Don't you believe me?"

"Yes. It's just there's no turning back once we start down this road, and I don't want you to have any doubts."

"I don't. I want you, Tanner. More than anything."

That's like music to my ears and I suck in a breath, bending my head to kiss her again. Then I unfasten her blouse, pulling it from her jeans. She gasps as I place my fingers on her bare skin, reaching behind her to undo her bra and letting it fall to the floor. I lean back, breaking the kiss and taking a moment to admire her full breasts. They're perfectly rounded, with hardened, dark pink nipples, and I lean in, capturing one between my lips. Zara lets out a slight squeal of delight, as I suck… gently to start with, and then harder, nipping at her with my teeth.

"Oh… God… what's happening to me? What are you doing?" She stammers out her words, clutching the back of my head at the same time.

"Making love with you, baby."

"But how? I—I mean, it's never felt like this before."

I pull away from her, confusion mastering my every move. "Excuse me?" I say. "I thought you'd never done anything. You said I was your first."

"You are," she says, breathing hard and gazing into my eyes.

"Then I don't understand."

She blushes, biting on her bottom lip. "I wish I'd kept my mouth shut now."

"I don't. I need to know what you mean, Zara."

She looks around the room, and with a sigh, takes my hand and leads me to her bed, which is in the center of the far wall. Once there, she sits and waits for me to perch on the mattress beside her.

"Talk to me," I whisper, and she looks up into my eyes.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to explain what you meant."

She sighs again. "Only that, I've always had quite sensitive breasts," she says, blushing harder than ever. "To the extent that I find it easier to… to come when I'm touching myself, if I pinch or squeeze my nipples at the same time. Even so, I've never felt anything like that before. What you just did was better than any climax I've ever had… and you weren't even…" She falls silent, her blush deepening further still, and I smile, relief washing over me, as I nod my head.

That sense of relief isn't going anywhere, but it's coupled with a raging desire to watch her, which is enough to make my cock ache. But that can wait, because the thing that's uppermost in my mind is the thought that she gained more pleasure from me sucking her nipples than from making herself come. That doesn't sound right to me, and I want – more than anything – to show her how it's meant to be.

I move closer, pushing her down onto her back, then lean in to trace a line of kisses from the tops of her breasts, up her neck to her lips. She turns toward me, her tongue clashing with mine, as I reach between us, undoing her jeans. Delving inside, I find silky soft lace, and beneath that, even softer flesh, which I part with my fingers, her breath hitching as I discover her swollen clit. She lets out a soft moan, then turns onto her back again, breaking our kiss.

"That's so good. So, so good. Don't stop, Tanner."

"I won't."

She parts her legs as we're speaking and I circle my finger around that tender spot, bending my head to suck and lick at her nipples, and she writhes against me. Jesus… she wasn't kidding. She's so damn close already.

"More," she urges, raising her hips, and I bite gently on her nipple, making her squeal as her body convulses into a shuddering orgasm. She thrashes hard against me, one hand clamping around my wrist, like she wants to make sure I don't stop, and I don't intend to. I keep up the pressure, her body curling in on itself as she soaks my fingers, whimpering my name.

Man… she's hot.

She comes back to me a piece at a time, her body twitching, even as she opens her eyes and stares up at me, a smile forming on her perfect lips.

"Was that better?" I say, leaning up on one elbow and gazing down at her.

"What do you think?"

"I think you look beautiful when you come."

"I think you're a man who knows what he's doing."

"Would you like some more?"

She nods her head, grinning. "Yes, please."

I chuckle and shift down the bed, pulling off her jeans. She's wearing a thong, and I'm mesmerized. I've never seen anything more beautiful, but I still need to see her naked and once I've pulled it off, I kneel between her legs, parting them wide, and bend them up, giving me the perfect view of her glistening, shaved pussy.

"God, you look good," I murmur, lowering myself to my elbows, then using my fingers to part her lips, before I dip my head and run my tongue across her hardened clit. She shudders and raises her legs even higher, giving me better access as I swirl my tongue over and around her. She tastes so sweet, and I lap up her juices, swallowing them down, then suck on her clit, making her moan with pleasure.

"What do I taste like?" she asks, and I raise my eyes, looking at her, kissing her clit before I pull back.

"You wanna find out for yourself?" I say and she nods her head, watching as I crawl up over her again, and sucking in a breath as my lips touch hers. She hesitates for a second, like she needs to get used to the idea of being able to taste herself, and then her tongue darts into my mouth, her body writhing beneath mine.

"I taste sweet," she murmurs, breaking the kiss eventually.

"Yeah, you do."

My cock is aching. I need to be naked, and although I'm enjoying every second of this, I kneel up and unfasten my jeans, pushing them down, along with my trunks, my cock relieved to be free of the confines of clothes.

Zara lowers her eyes, biting on her bottom lip, and then reaches out, although she pulls her hand back straight away, letting it drop to the mattress.

"Hey… it's okay. Come here." I take her hand and place it around my cock. "You can touch, baby. You can do whatever you like."

"You're sure?"

I nod my head and place my hand over hers, moving them both up and down my length a few times, before letting go and leaving her to continue by herself.

"That feels good," I murmur, shifting up the bed slightly, so I'm above her face.

"It does." Her eyes are wide, sparkling with wonder. "It's harder than I thought it would be. It's bigger, too." She tips her head, studying me, and then leans up, licking the pre-cum from the tip of my cock. "Hmm… that was kinda salty," she says, and I chuckle, moving back slightly.

"One day, when you're ready, you can taste me."

"Taste you?"

"Yeah. I've dreamed of having your lips wrapped around my cock, and coming in your mouth."

She gasps, smiling up at me. "That sounds like fun."

"It will be."

"Why can't we do it now?"

"Because I really need to be inside you."

"Oh…" Her hand falls from my dick and she lets out a gentle sigh. "In that case…"

I shift to one side and shimmy to the edge of the bed, standing up to kick off my jeans and trunks, and remove my t-shirt, smiling at the way Zara stares at me. Her lips are slightly parted and while that thought makes me shudder with anticipation, it's very short-lived. I've just had the worst possible thought. We're gonna need a condom, and I can't remember if I still have any in my wallet. I used to… but did I take them out? Shit… I lean over, pulling my wallet from my jeans, and heave out a sigh of relief when I find there are two condoms inside. I take out one, which I unwrap, and roll over my cock. Zara, oblivious to my momentary panic, doesn't take her eyes off of me, but watches my every move as I climb up onto the bed again.

I nestle between her legs, one hand resting up by her head, while I palm my cock with the other, rubbing it against her. She raises her legs higher, and I lean down slightly

"This is gonna hurt, baby."

She nods her head and I find her entrance, pushing inside just a little before I lower myself to my elbows, and hold her. This feels so momentous… more so than anything I've ever done before, and I pause for a moment or two, taking it all in before making the final thrust. She cries out and I hug her tight to me, wishing it didn't have to be that way, although within seconds, she raises her hips, and I lean up, looking down at her.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," she whispers, and I smile, pulling almost all the way back out before I plunge into her again. She's so tight around me, I'm struggling to think straight, but I build a steady rhythm, which she matches, stroke for stroke. I want to kiss her, but her head is thrashing from side to side, and if I didn't know better, I'd say she was going to come.

"Tanner… I'm…" She looks up at me, confusion etched on her face, like she doesn't get it.

"Go with it, baby. Let it take you."

She screams my name at the top of her voice, clamping around my cock as she comes apart. It's all I can do to hang on, but I manage it, watching her nipples harden, her body rolling with the ebb and flow of her climax.

"You're good at this," I murmur, bending to claim her lips the moment she's calm. "Especially for someone who's never done anything before."

She smiles up at me, still raising her hips in time with my movements. "I may never have been with a man, or even had a satisfying orgasm, before tonight, but that doesn't mean I don't have the same desires and needs as anyone else."

"You just never met anyone you wanted to share them with?" I say and she nods her head, resting her hands on my biceps.

"Until now."

I smile. Who wouldn't?

Then I raise myself up again as I increase the pace and she surprises me by wrapping her legs around me, like she doesn't want to let me go, which is entirely mutual.

"You're… so… fucking… good." I mutter, taking her deeper than ever.

"Take me. Make me come again," she whispers as she tweaks her nipples, and I grind my hips into her, adding a slight circular motion to every stroke. Her eyes widen and she pants hard, her body convulsing as she falls yet again.

That's too much for me. I can't take any more, and I let out a howl, throwing my head back as I fill her so deep I'm not sure I'll ever recover.

My heartbeat slowly returns to normal, and I suck air into my lungs.

"I need…" I take another breath. "I need…"

"Yes?" She looks up at me, smiling.

"I need the bathroom." She nods her head, gasping as I pull out of her. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she says. "The bathroom was the first door on the left when you came in."

"Okay." I roll over and sit up on the edge of her bed, looking back at her perfect body, lying across the mattress. "I won't be a minute."

I'm surprised by how well my legs work, and I make my way to the bathroom, taking no time at all to clean up and dispose of the condom. When I return, I stop in the doorway and smile. I suppose I'd half expected to find Zara exactly where I left her, or failing that, buried beneath the covers, but instead, she's switched on the lights and has changed position. Now, she's lying with her head on the pillows, one hand on her flat stomach and the other resting on her thigh… and no sign of any covers at all. Her body is divine, and my cock hardens again as I wander over and climb onto the bed beside her. She turns to face me and I pull her into my arms.

"You're amazing."

"So are you," she says, smiling. "I never realized it could be like that."

"Like what?"

"So… consuming." She struggled to find that word, but it feels right. Being with her is consuming… in the best way possible.

She leans back slightly, then moves her hand down across my stomach, letting it rest at the base of my cock. For a second, she doesn't move, but then she lets her fingers roam, caressing me gently, before she clamps her hand around me and moves it up and down with slow, steady strokes.

"You like that?" I whisper, and she nods her head.

"Do you?"

"More than you'll ever know." She giggles and I move my hand between her legs, which she parts really wide, my fingers delving between her soaking folds. "Jeez… you're wet."

"You're surprised by that?"

"Not really," I say, chuckling, as she strokes my cock a little faster, while I insert a finger inside her and use my thumb to rub her clit. She bucks against me, moaning loudly, and parts her legs wider still. It's like an invitation. One I'm not about to decline.

"You want to have my cock inside you again?"

She nods her head. "Can I?"

"You can have anything you want, baby." I grin down at her, both of us removing our hands from the other, and then I turn, leaning over the side of the bed to grab another condom from my wallet. "You're sure you're not sore?" I ask as I swing back around again, rolling it over my cock.

"Not in the slightest."

"Good."

She squeals as I flip her over onto her front, pulling her up onto her hands and knees, and edging her legs apart with my own. I settle behind her, nudging the head of my cock against her entrance, smiling as she rocks back into me.

"Don't tease," she murmurs, and I plunge deep inside her. "Oh, yes," she groans, her voice deep and mellow, like she's been waiting for this all her life. I know I have, and I pull back out, relishing that moment of penetration again. She seems to like it too, and moans every time I enter her afresh, over and over, taking it slow, and then fast, until her body's trembling.

"You're close, aren't you, babe?"

"Yes… yes."

"Then come on my cock."

As if on command, she explodes around me, her shoulders heaving and her arms giving way beneath her. I hang on to her hips, pulling her back onto me, and she grinds out my name between gritted teeth.

Without giving her time to recover, I kneel back on my ankles, pulling her with me, her body a little limp, but pliable and willing. She nestles on my lap, impaled on me, and rests her knees on either side of mine.

"This feels nice," she says, twisting her head and looking up at me.

"I don't think anything has ever felt better," I murmur, placing my left arm just beneath her breasts, holding her close, while I move my right hand around in front of her, finding her exposed clit with ease. I touch my middle finger to it and she gasps, her body rocking against mine.

"Do that again," she whispers, and I oblige, circling around her most sensitive spot while she rotates her hips, taking me deeper and deeper inside her.

"You feel so good, baby," I say, kissing her neck.

"So do you."

We form a perfect rhythm, and she raises her arms, putting them behind my neck, her back arching as she rides me.

"Take my cock, babe."

She doesn't reply, but just grinds into me a little harder… a little faster.

I feel the moment she loses control, her body tightening in my arms as she flips into another wild orgasm. I have to say, she's like nothing else. And I don't want this to stop. Not ever.

She flops forward slightly as she calms, although I sense she's not done yet, and neither am I. I lift her off of me and she falls forward, prone on the bed, which seems like too good an opportunity to pass up.

I straddle her, leaning over, and although she tries to part her legs, I don't let her.

"Stay where you are, baby."

She turns her head, looking over her shoulder at me, and I smile down at her, pulling her ass up off the bed a little and shifting closer, then sliding my cock into her soaking pussy. She buries her face in the covers, letting out a guttural groan as I lean over her and start to move, harder and harder, faster and faster.

"Don't stop… don't stop…" She twists her head again, panting out her words as I move my hands to her waist, holding her down, pounding into her.

"You're so fucking tight." I'm not sure how much more I can take, and as though she senses I'm close, she tilts her ass up a little more and I bury myself deep inside her, roaring out her name as I come. She joins me, her legs trembling, spasms rocking through her body, while she grabs at the bedding with her clenched fists, screaming for more, until we're both spent.

I roll us over, keeping us joined for now, and hold her in my arms, giving us time to recover. Neither of us says a word, but words feel superfluous right now. Holding her is enough.

After a while, I kiss the back of her neck and her shoulders and she shudders against me.

"Are you okay?" she asks, breaking the silence.

"I'm fine, but I guess I should go to the bathroom," I say, and she twists in my arms.

"It seems a shame to break this up."

I smile down at her, brushing my lips over hers. "I know, but I won't be long."

She slides out of my arms, letting me roll over and get out of bed.

I make the short walk to the bathroom, switching on the light, although I leave the door open, and I'm just washing up at the sink, when I feel a pair of hands creep around my waist.

"Missing me already?" I say, turning to face Zara, who's right behind me.

"Yes. And I wanted to clip my nail." She reaches around me, pulling open the bathroom cabinet, and as I rinse the soap from my hands, I step aside to give her space, watching as she rifles through it. I grab the towel and am drying my hands when Zara lets out a slight yelp.

"What's wrong?"

"I—I…" She looks up at me, clutching a packet of pills in her hand. "I should probably have mentioned these before now, shouldn't I?"

I study them more closely for a second, then focus on her. "You take birth control pills?"

She blushes. "Yeah. I have done since I was sixteen, because of my per—" She stops talking, her blush deepening. "Sorry. I feel like such an idiot for not saying something earlier… about the pills, not my periods, I mean."

I caress her cheek with my fingertips. "It would have been good to know, but now I do, how would you feel about not using condoms?"

She bites her bottom lip, but only because she's struggling not to smile, and as her eyes sparkle and she nods her head, I kiss her. Hard.

"I've never eaten my dinner with nothing on before," Zara says, and I have to smile.

"You should do it more often… with me, of course."

"Of course."

She lowers her head, like she's embarrassed, or shy, and finishes the last bite of her salmon. Zara had it in her refrigerator, and baked it with some tomatoes, spinach and thinly sliced potatoes. I have to say, it tastes delicious… almost as delicious as the woman sitting naked at the breakfast bar beside me.

After a second or two, she raises her head again, putting down her fork.

"Can I ask a question?" she says, and I nod my head, waiting, while she purses her lips, takes a breath, and then says, "Why did you bring condoms with you?"

I smile. I hadn't been expecting that, and I push our empty plates away, taking her hand in mine.

"I wasn't being presumptuous. I just hadn't taken them out of my wallet since Sabrina left."

"I see," she says, her eyes clouding.

"No, you don't." I turn in my seat and pull her around so she's facing me. "You don't see at all. It wasn't that Sabrina and I had sex all the time, and I needed to be prepared." Her face clears a little, and I lean in closer.

"What was it then?" she asks before I can continue.

"After we had Nash, Sabrina decided she didn't want to have any more kids."

Zara frowns. "How did you feel about that?"

"I couldn't really argue with her. She'd had a terrible pregnancy, and the birth itself was quite difficult. There was no way I could ask her to go through that again if she didn't want to."

"So you agreed?"

"I accepted her decision."

"And you started using condoms?" she asks. It's an obvious question, but I shake my head, confusing her.

"No. Sabrina went straight back to taking birth control pills. She'd used them since she was sixteen, just like you… but not for the same reason. And she only stopped so we could get pregnant."

Zara shakes her head and looks into my eyes. "If she'd started taking her pills again, why did you need condoms?" she asks.

"I didn't at first, but after I found out about her affair with Mitch, it seemed like a good idea to use them."

"To protect yourself?"

I nod my head. "I didn't feel like leaving my safety in the hands of a woman who could lie so easily. She didn't like me using condoms, and she argued that she'd ended things with Mitch, but it transpired I was right not to trust her… with anything."

She pulls her hand from mine and rests it on my chest. "You can trust me," she says.

"I do." She smiles up at me and I lean in and kiss her.

She moans in to me, and I reach around behind her, pulling her to the edge of her seat, then part her legs, exposing her pussy, and insert a finger inside her. She gasps, then pulls back, breaking our kiss and leaning away.

"Can I watch?" she says, a smile forming on her lips as I nod, and she lowers her gaze, right at the moment I add a second finger. "Oh… that feels good." She lets her head fall forward, never taking her eyes from her pussy, as I rub her clit with my thumb, making her squirm on her seat.

"You're so fucking hot, babe," I growl, and she smiles at me, her eyes sparkling.

"I—I'm sure I'm no different to…"

"You are, Zara. I don't wanna be the kind of guy who makes comparisons, but believe me, you're about as different as it gets."

"In a good way?"

"In the best way."

I stand up, which changes the angle slightly, and she sucks in a sharp breath, her body trembling. I palm my cock, stroking along its length, and Zara stutters out that breath.

"I don't know what to look at," she says, her eyes darting from her pussy to my dick. She's beside herself, clutching at the sides of the chair, but then she reaches up and pinches her nipples, like she doesn't know what to do… like it's all too much. "That's so… that's so…" She's lost for words, too, and within seconds, she throws back her head, letting out a high-pitched squeal, her body succumbing to pleasure yet again. She grabs the sides of the seat, clinging on, and I watch as she shudders her way through yet another orgasm.

I don't give her time to calm. I need to be inside her, and even though she's still shaking, I pull my fingers from her and raise her to her feet. Then I lift her right leg, draping it over my left arm and part my legs to get the angle right, sliding inside her.

"Fuck… yes." I grind out the words, her wet pussy gripping my cock, with no barrier between us. She looks up into my eyes, then leans back against the countertop behind her and raises her leg from my arm to my shoulder, opening herself to me.

"That feels so good," she says as I take her even deeper.

"It's the best, baby. The best…" I feel like she needs to know that… needs to hear it, and I step closer, supporting her raised leg, and thrusting hard inside her.

"Yes, Tanner. Yes!" she screams. "Don't stop. Give me more."

"I'm never gonna stop. I'm yours, baby," I mutter, the feeling of her tight pussy driving me wild.

"Take me back to bed… please."

Her request surprises me, and I pull out of her, then lower her leg to the floor before I take her hands in mine, holding them between us.

"You wanna carry on, or stop?" I ask, desperate to know.

"Carry on, of course," she says with a smile. "I want to feel you come inside me."

It's all I can do not to come on the spot, but I lead her through to the bedroom and lower her to the mattress, joining her there and quickly rolling us over so she's on top of me.

"You want my come?" She nods her head with beguiling eagerness. "Then take it."

She straddles me, lowering herself onto my cock, and taking me in a slow, steady decline, her eyes fluttering closed as she gets used to the penetration. Then she leans up, her hands on my chest, and nibbles at her bottom lip. For a second, I wonder if she's gonna ask what to do, but then she raises herself up, pausing for a moment before she drops back down again.

"Oh, that's so deep," she says, sucking in a breath.

"I know. Keep going."

She does, getting into a rhythm. I clutch her thighs, helping with the rise and fall, feeling my climax building.

"Are you close?" she asks.

"Yeah. Very."

She rotates her hips, my cock buried balls deep inside her, and moves her hands up tweaking at her nipples. That's too hot for words. I'm still clutching her thighs, holding on as best I can, but luckily, it doesn't take long before her breathing changes, and I know she's on the edge.

"Come with me," I urge and she nods her head, grinding on to me and crying out my name as her body surrenders. Mine follows just seconds behind, and I raise my hips, filling her with everything I've got.

She falls forward on to me, both of us breathing hard, and I put my arms around her, turning us so we're on our sides, still joined.

"God, that felt good," she whispers.

"It was better than good. Like I said, it was the best." I smile at her, feeling on top of the world, as I push a stray hair from her cheek and kiss her lips, pulling back slightly so I can trace a line around them with my fingertip. She shudders, snuggling against me, and staring up into my face, studying me.

"Thank you."

I frown at her. "Trust me. You have nothing to thank me for."

She smiles while I hold her close against me, and we lie like that for some time, just breathing together, until she pulls back again.

"I meant to say, did you have a good weekend with Nash?" she asks, making me smile, which seems to confuse her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just so good to be able to lie here, like this, after such great sex, and talk."

"Isn't that what most people do?"

"I don't know, but it's not something I've ever done before."

"What did you used to do when you were with Sabrina, then?"

"You really wanna know?"

"Yes," she says, nodding her head.

"Okay… well, at the beginning, we'd usually just fall asleep."

"And at the end?"

"She'd fall asleep, and I'd lie there, wondering how I compared to her other lovers."

She nestles against me. "You need have no such worries with me," she says and I roll her onto her back, gazing down at her.

"I know." I tip my head, then bend it to kiss her.

"You still haven't answered my question," she says when I pull back.

"What question?"

"Did you enjoy your weekend with Nash?"

"Oh… It was fine. Except I missed you."

"I missed you, too." She leans up and kisses me. "Have you said anything to Sabrina about us yet?"

"No. Why? Is that a problem?"

"No. I just wondered if you'd mentioned us when you took Nash home."

I move my hand down, caressing her ass, and she wraps her legs around me. "I didn't get the chance. She practically slammed the door in my face, which was annoying, because I wanted to talk to her about Dean and the way he treats Nash when he's collecting him from school."

"I see," she says, and I kiss her again.

"I will talk to her about us, babe. As soon as I get the chance."

"You're sure that's what you wanna do? If you think it's gonna cause…"

"I'm gonna tell her," I say, interrupting her. "There's no way I'm putting either of us through another weekend like that. I want you to be part of my dysfunctional family."

She smiles. "As long as you're sure."

"Absolutely." I'm still hard inside her, and I edge back and forth which makes her moan, her eyes fluttering closed. I feel like we've come so far tonight, but there's one more thing I need to say. I just hope I don't regret it. "Zara…?"

She opens her eyes, looking right into mine. "Yes?"

"Do you remember when we both agreed we couldn't imagine making love with someone we didn't love?"

I hear her take a breath, watch her lick her bottom lip and blink hard a couple of times, feel her tense slightly beneath me, and wonder if I've read this all wrong.

"Yes, I do," she whispers.

"Well… we've just made love. We're still making love." I pull almost all the way out of her and slowly slide back in, giving her my entire length as I drop to my elbows and hold her body against mine. "So, would it be too late to say I'm in love with you?"

A smile tweaks at the corners of her lips, then fills out, making my heart burst with joy, as she whispers, "Considering we've only known each other for a week, I would have thought you'd be more concerned it was too soon."

"Is it?"

"No. Because I'm in love with you, too."

I raise my hand, putting it behind her head, and hold her steady while I kiss her. So damn hard. She writhes beneath me, but I pull back, leaving her breathless. There are things I need to know, and I open my mouth to ask them, stopping myself when she beats me to it.

"When did you know?" she says, surprising me. It seems there are things she needs to know too… questions which are very similar to my own.

I smile at her and rock my hips back and forth. "On the day I bumped into you outside the bookstore, when you looked up at me." Her eyes widen.

"Really?"

"Yes. I've never believed in love at first sight before, but it happened to me… like a bolt of lightning, only a helluva lot nicer." She giggles and I flex my hips a little faster, making her gasp. "When did you realize?" I ask.

"It was later that evening, when I was in bed."

"Doing what?"

"Touching myself," she says, smiling, and I love the fact that she can say that now without blushing.

"You masturbated that night?"

"Yeah."

"What were you thinking about?"

"You, of course. I wanted you so much."

"I wish I'd been there."

She smiles. "Based on what I know you can do, so do I."

I kiss her, just briefly. "If I was your inspiration that night, do you mind me asking what you used to think about before we met?"

"No-one in particular, if that's what you're thinking. I didn't have a specific fantasy man in my head. I already told you I read a lot of romance novels, so I used the storylines as a kind of backdrop, and put myself in the heroine's place."

I nod my head. "We didn't discuss it before, but I'm guessing these romance novels would fit in the category of steamy, not sweet."

"I started off reading sweet and graduated to steamy."

She smiles, bites her lip and tilts her head in such a way I have to ask, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just I've always thought they weren't very realistic."

"I know. You said. But in what way?"

She shrugs. "Oh, you know… the way they portray sex and men."

"You'll have to enlighten me. I've never read a romance novel in my life."

"You surprise me," she says, moaning slightly as my cock sinks a little deeper inside her.

"So? Tell me about the lack of realism in these novels."

"That's just it," she says, catching her breath. "Most of them have heroes who are six-foot something tall, with muscles to die for. They have swoon-worthy eyes, and can kiss like a God… and as for what they can do in bed…" She lets her voice fade and I hold still inside her.

"I see what you mean. It's hardly very true to life, is it?"

She pulls back as far as the pillow will allow. "That's what I'm saying. I thought it was ludicrous for authors to suggest that a man would be able to make a woman come so easily, and to take her to some otherworldly place every single time… especially when I struggled to get anywhere myself. I thought no man could ever be built like that, or look like that, or say the things they say… let alone understand how to pleasure a woman in the way they describe."

"And you were right," I say, nodding my head. "It's a dream world… a fantasy."

"Says the man who dressed up as a cowboy to turn fantasy into reality…"

"Maybe. But that was just for fun. It doesn't mean the rest of it is real."

"Yes, it does. Unless I'm in the middle of a fantasy right now."

I realize what she's saying and raise myself above her, unable to stop myself from smiling. "You mean that?"

"Yes. You take my breath away, Tanner. There really is magic in your touch, and starlight in your kisses."

"And so much love in my heart, babe."

"Oh… that's such a lovely thing to say. You see? There you go, proving my point again."

I lean in, kissing her lips. "I'll speak to Sabrina tomorrow."

"You will?"

"Yeah. I'll go see her. Then you'll never need a romance novel for inspiration again."

"Oh?"

"No. You'll have me…"

"Always?" she asks.

"Always, baby."

I lean down and kiss her, feeling a warmth in my chest like I've never felt before.

I'm finally home, and nothing in the world is gonna make me leave.