Balen bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling, but his dimples betrayed his amusement. She could tell by his grin he’d taken her concern as a compliment. In truth, she’d been hesitant to say anything. She’d never been with anyone who even came close to Balen’s size or stature. And as much as she wanted him, she was a little nervous—especially with the broad head of his shaft poised at her entrance.

Balen’s humor faded as he held her gaze with unflinching certainty, studying her with eyes she swore could see into her soul and would discover her secret—she was in love with him. If she was being honest, she’d known it for a while, but it wasn’t until this morning, after waking up in Balen’s arms, that she’d finally admitted it to herself. Autumn wasn’t naïve enough to believe he shared her feelings, he’d outright told her he didn’t believe in love. Then again, a few days ago, hadn’t she said the same thing?

Balen took her hand and brought it to his chest, sliding it down to his erection. She wrapped her fingers around his thick length and slowly stroked him, gliding him over her sensitive clit. Little darts of pleasure arrowed into her core as he pulsed in her hand.

His pupils dilated, consuming those amber-flecked pools and filling them with lust as his body tensed above her. When he spoke, his voice was raw with need, and held a hint of desperation. “Don’t be scared. I know what I’m doing, Autumn. I won’t hurt you.”

Though his reply was meant to ease her concern, imagining how and where he got all that experience did not. The idea of him with any other woman made her heart ache. Selfishly, she wanted him to be hers and only hers. She wanted this to be more than just a fuck to him—she wanted it to mean something.

“Can I tell you a confession?” he whispered.

She nodded, finding comfort in his rare moment of vulnerability.

“I’ve never been with a woman bare before. And I know I probably shouldn’t ask, but I want you that way, with no barriers between us.”

She was tempted to grant his request. Autumn liked the idea of being his first in some small way. Although it had been two years since she’d had sex, she’d remained on the pill to regulate her cycle. She was safe, and if Balen hadn’t been with any women like this before, then so was he. She didn’t believe he would ask if there was even a possibility he’d be putting her at risk.

“I want that too. I want this to be special for you.”

Surprise flashed in his eyes before melting into something softer, something unspeakably poignant. Reaching up, he tenderly brushed his thumb over her cheek and whispered, “It is. Autumn, you’re what makes this special.”

He brushed his lips against hers, a slow, lingering caress that sent her senses reeling. His breath became hers as his tongue swept into her mouth, an erotic dance that lit up her nerve endings. The ache in her core was becoming unbearable. She needed him inside her.

Autumn guided his shaft closer as he continued to kiss her, lifting her hips to seat him at her entrance. The controlled, practiced pace of his kiss quickened, growing reckless with need. The frenzied demand of his mouth obliterated her reservations as the last bit of his control severed when the tip of him breached her folds.

He uttered an oath that sounded more like a plea for mercy than a curse. Balen froze, lifting his head and locking eyes with hers as he asked one final time, “Are you sure, Autumn?” He didn’t want her to have any regrets, proving his concern for her outweighed his own desire. God help her, in that moment, Autumn fell in love with him a little bit more.

“I’m sure. I want this, Balen.”

The emotion in his gold-dusted eyes took her breath away as he held her stare and rocked his hips forward, pushing inside her. She gasped at the invasion. The stretch to accommodate him rode that fine line of pain and pleasure, but Balen pulled her back from that ledge and sent her spiraling into pure bliss when he slipped his hand between them and stroked his thumb over the sensitive bead of her sex.

“Relax,” he whispered against her lips, giving her a soul-searing kiss she felt all the way to her toes. “Autumn… You feel so good. Better than I ever imagined.”

He pulled back and gently rocked forward again, gaining that last bit of ground until he was seated fully inside her. The stretch of her body yielding to his was incredible. He gave her a few minutes to get used to him, and just maybe he needed that time to regain a little control. His breaths had become a ragged pant against her neck as he whispered the sexiest things in her ear.

“You’re so tight… So wet for me. So perfect.”

She’d forgotten how intimate this connection could be. But with Balen, it was so much more than she’d imagined, or ever experienced with Alex. Without a doubt, sex had never felt so incredible. She’d never been filled so fully that it was impossible to tell where she ended and he began. The pleasure coursing through her veins set her nerve endings on fire as he began to move. His slow, careful thrusts quickly becoming harder, faster. The tension coiling in her core grew tighter each time he hit that sensitive ridge of nerves deep inside her, spiraling her closer and closer until her release bore down on her.

The first tremors of her climax shuddered through her body, her grip on him tightening as wave after euphoric wave suddenly crashed over her. “Oh God…Yes!” she cried out, his solid strength anchoring her when she felt as if she was floating away.

Her release was his undoing. Balen lost control, his powerful body tensed, his grip on her tightening as he shouted her name. The heat of his release blasted into her core, a pulsing rush that sent her spiraling over the edge all over again. Her channel milked his release with rhythmic spasms, each one more intense than the last.

It took her several moments to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, it was to find him watching her. The intensity of his stare gave away none of his thoughts. She was about to ask him if everything was all right, when he whispered, “You’re so beautiful when you come.”

* * *

Color bloomed in her cheeks, adding to the flushed hue of a woman who’d just been good and properly fucked. It was a good look on her—she wore it well. Reluctant to break their connection, he stayed inside her, reveling in the sensations he’d never allowed himself to indulge in before her. Everything was heightened. The heat of her core, the grip of her tight sheath, the moisture slicking his shaft—a mixture of his release and hers—all compounded by the overload of emotions flooding through his veins.

But the one emotion he hadn’t expected to rear its ugly head was guilt. Autumn had given herself to him—in every way. And he hadn’t given her the same gift in return. He was still holding himself back. She deserved better. She deserved the truth. Even if it costs you the woman you love? his conscience unhelpfully pointed out.

In the last five years, he’d experienced enough loss to last him a lifetime. And it was that fear that ultimately proved him a coward and kept him from telling her the truth, and from uttering the words so close to his tongue—words he’d recited in his head so many times they’d become a goddamn mantra. Don’t leave…

He could feel time slipping through his grasp. Urgency sent his pulse racing with dread. Studying her, he threaded his fingers into her hair and curled them around her silky tresses, needing something tangible to hold onto. If only for right now, Autumn was his. He would tell her the truth, he resolved—tonight. But as for right now, he refused to waste one more moment worrying about it.

Lowering his head, Balen kissed her softly, telling her things with his body he didn’t dare speak out loud. Her lips parted on a breathy sigh he felt all the way to his cock. The rush of blood pounding in his veins swiftly returned the moment her sweet little tongue swept against his. He grew hard and she must have felt him swelling inside her, because a playful smile curled her kiss-swollen lips.

“Again?” she teased, rocking her hips to encourage him deeper and pulling a low, throaty groan from his chest.

The grip of her satiny glove sent a jolt of pleasure racing down his shaft. He rooted himself deep, and a wave of pure male satisfaction rolled through him at her startled gasp. He kissed the mark he’d left on her neck and then moved up to whisper against her ear, “Unless you’re planning on rescheduling your flight back home, I’ve got approximately twenty-four hours to get you out of my system. But I’ll be honest, Autumn, I don’t think that’d be possible if I had twenty-four years.”

And that was the closest he could bring himself to asking her to stay. She either missed it or conveniently ignored the offer. But in her defense, she was moaning, the blunt tips of her nails were digging into his ass as she writhed beneath him.

He took her slow and easy this time, learning exactly where and how she wanted to be touched. Autumn was like an open book, so trusting and willing to let him explore her body. It didn’t take long for him to discover what she liked, and by her surprised responses and breathy moans, he wondered if she wasn’t discovering them for the first time herself.

Finally, when she broke down and begged, he let her come. Her release was so powerful she ripped his own from him. Though he’d spent only a little while ago, he came again, this time harder than the last. Her spasms milked him dry. His name, a broken cry on her lips, was like a siren’s call to his cock. Balen never would have thought it possible, but in just a few short hours, this woman had somehow managed to own him—body, mind, and soul.