“We can’t. You heard what he said, Maggie. He trusts me to protect you.”

“And we’re back to that,” she bristled. “Everybody thinks little Maggie can’t take care of herself…”

“Goddamn it, that’s not it at all.” I tossed my hair out of my eyes in irritation. “I want you… and you want me. There isn’t anything in hell that’s going to keep us from happening, Maggie. But I need to find a way to talk to your brother. We’ll be together… But I want it to be the right way. I can’t have Dean thinking that I’m taking advantage of his little sister. He has to see this, to see us, in a different way.” Maggie stomped the gas and the old engine whined in response.

“I know…,” she said finally. “You’re right. I just don’t care for the feeling that I need anyone’s permission to live my life.”

I smiled, and stroked my finger leisurely up the long expanse of her thigh. She turned to look at me, her dark eyes even darker, her pupils large with arousal. “Patience,” I said, “has many, many rewards…”

“Dean will accept us, or he won’t. But I owe it to him, to tell him things have changed. I don’t want to destroy a lifelong friendship… and I don’t want this to come between the two of you. Especially when you guys are just starting to get close.” I reached up to tangle my fingers in the damp ringlets at the nape of her neck.

“I’ve waited so long,” she said, leaning the weight of her head back into my hand. “I’ve waited my whole life for you…”

“In a strange way, I have, too,” I answered, letting my thumb fall into the delicate valley below her ear. “I’m a decade older than you… I’ve had relationships…”

“But I’ve always loved you, Maggie. When you were a sad little kid, I just loved you like a brother. But it’s sure as hell not what I’m feeling now. Not since I first laid eyes on you at the bus station… and didn’t even recognize you.” I brushed my thumb over the soft skin of her cheek. “I want the woman, not the child… Although the history between us seems to make it all even more powerful…”

She caught her breath, turning to take the tip of my thumb between her teeth. Then it was my turn to suffer the ache of impatience.

“We were meant to be, Maggie. I think somewhere deep inside I always knew…”

“But you had to grow up, and I had to be patient.” She was sucking my thumb now, and threatening all my hard-won self-control. “I want your first time to be more than you ever could have dreamed of, Maggie. I want you to be fully ready… there are so many different ways for us to explore… and to learn…”

A crash of thunder hit close, startling us. For a moment, the delicious tension between us seemed to pause, and we both sucked in a deep breath. I took her hand and held it as she drove on, faster now, towards the old farmhouse.

The first wave of hail began just as we’d gotten most of the boxes packed into the large, mostly empty living room. The wooden floors creaked in objection, but at least the owners had cleared out most of the dust in advance of our arrival. As we climbed the stairs to explore the bedrooms and bath, the hail grew even louder. I said nothing to Maggie, but I was concerned. Hail, without rain, can be a bad sign…

“I should call Dean and tell him we might be a while,” she said, looking out a casement window over the wide, empty land. “We can’t head back in this.”

I was behind her and put my arms around her waist, looking over her shoulder. “I’m not sure there’s a landline that works out here,” I said. I pulled out my phone. “No cell reception either. I should have called him before we were too far out of range.”

The room, dark already, grew even darker. The pounding rhythm of the hail on the rooftop seemed to quicken the pace of my heart. I could feel her warmth, and in spite of the heat, it drew me in closer. She leaned back against me and her scent filled my lungs. The thunder outside had stopped, but the air between us crackled with electricity. Maggie turned in my arms and the weight of her breasts dragged across my chest…

“I want you to teach me, Joe,” she said so softly I almost didn’t hear. “Maybe we have to be patient… for other things… But you said there’s so much for us to explore.” She reached up and touched her fingertips to my jaw and kissed me… slowly at first, almost shyly, until a moan came from deep inside her, and I gripped her waist, her hips… pulling her to me with a fury that matched the storm outside… “I want you to touch me,” she gasped. “I need to feel your skin…”

The winds blew and the house groaned around us. I drew her to the bed, and in the dim, ethereal light I undressed her. The last thing to go were the boots, and I groaned inwardly at the sight as she kicked them off. Her breasts bounced hard with the effort, and I wondered if I had the strength to hold anything back.

“God, you’re lovely, Maggie,” I breathed, unable to tear my eyes away. “The loveliest woman… the loveliest soul…”

She smiled, an irresistible mix of both innocence and vixen, and slipped her hands underneath my shirt. She stripped it off over my head. Then we stood inches apart, not touching… but devouring each other with our eyes. I could feel her gaze like fire on my skin. I had to reach for her…

I picked her up and lifted her onto the down-filled coverlet. Her huge eyes never left mine as I climbed in beside her, hovering over her sweet, young flesh. As powerfully as I wanted her, I wanted to take my time just as much. This moment was once in a lifetime… not just for her, but for me as well. She’d remain a virgin… for now. But she would learn every inch of me.

And I would learn every inch of her.