She was so right. Declan mulled over the regret he felt. They’d spent a whole year dodging around the very thing that both of them wanted. Their sophomore stupidity had nagged at Declan often over the years, almost as often as he’d regretted the choice to move up north to attend the U of I, and the loss of the intervening years.

Declan shook the thought away. This was not the night for regrets. This was a night for them. For he and Iris to finally be together the way they both longed for.

She clung to his arm tightly as they walked the few steps to her bedroom. Her grip may’ve had something to do with her uncertain balance, but in his mind, the tight hold she had on him was about not letting go of this chance again. His heart twinged with pleasure; he was sure she wanted this as much as he did.

And that meant everything to him.

Making it into the bedroom, she reached for the light. The overhead fixture flared to life, filling the small room with a blinding brightness. She quickly flicked on the smaller lamp on the dresser and then killed the overhead light with one smooth, practiced motion.

“I hate that damn overhead light,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she turned into him. Her body felt so natural against his; they seemed to mold into each other. Declan’s soul relaxed.

She bent her head slightly and pressed her face against his throat, against the beating of his heart, as he wrapped his arms around her. He felt like he could encircle her tall, slender body twice over, and protect her from the world. From all that it had thrown her way. As she snuggled a little closer, he closed his eyes and drank the moment in, wishing that he could hold onto it forever.

He bent his head to fill his nose with her sweet scent – an intoxicating mixture of shampoo and something that could only be described as her. Pressing his lips to the top of her head, her warmth spread through him.

The moment seemed to last forever, and yet in the blink of an eye, she stirred. Staying pinned to his body, Iris tilted her head upward with a soft whimper escaping her. In the warm glow of the lamp, he could see the need in her gorgeous blue eyes. The message was clear, and Declan could not think of a reason to deny either one of them any longer.

His lips met hers.

It was not their first kiss, of course, but the intervening years had gilded the memory of their actual first kiss. Nostalgia and regret had formed a soft haze over it, but this moment cleared away the fog of memory, joining their other first kiss in Declan’s mind. As their lips moved in time with each other, rediscovering a comfortingly familiar rhythm, he reveled in the rightness of this feeling, like the satisfying click of a puzzle piece snapping into place.

Her tongue darted into his mouth and back out again, and inwardly, he grinned as his tongue chased after hers. He remembered this little signal.

His mind replayed the confusion he’d felt the first time Iris had done this. It was in the parking lot of the high school, on a crisp fall Friday night, late into the evening after a football game. They’d leaned against his beat-up truck, talking long after the lot had cleared of its students and football fans. It’d been magical – just her and him, under the garish glow of an aging street lamp. They were in their own little world – a world Declan had never wanted to leave. 

Iris had cuddled into him tightly like she was right now. Their lips had met in another enchanting closed mouth kiss, but this time, he’d decided to be a little adventurous. He’d opened his mouth slightly, and her lips followed his lead. 

Then…nothing. In pure dude-fashion, he didn’t have a plan for what to do next.

Iris rescued him by flicking her tongue forward between his lips and then back again. His tongue instantly chased after hers. After that, their kisses became more in-depth, but each one started with her teasing him.

He pulled himself back into the present, letting his hands roam the side of her body, tracing the graceful outward turn of her hip. He let his hand rest there for a moment. She was so petite, and yet so tall. There was a reason she’d been magic on the basketball court. 

He raised his hand again, letting it dip inward over her waist before moving out again until his palm cupped the side of her breast. Iris sucked in a sharp breath at his touch and pressed herself tighter to him.

The kiss was perfect in every way. Declan knew he would gladly stay in this moment for the rest of time if he could. The promise of what was going to happen next held only a small glimmer of interest compared to this feeling.

And then, it was as if they were back in high school again, with Iris stepping into her role as prompter. Pulling back just enough to separate their lips, she broke the kiss. “Come on, cowboy,” she whispered, “I think it’s time you paid up on a long overdue promise.”

Her soft words, sweet voice, and stunning smile worked their magic. They were just what Declan needed to keep moving forward.

He lowered his arm so that both of his arms curled around her waist. Supporting her full weight, he walked toward the bed, Iris nearly floating in time with his movement, no hesitation in her steps as they went. She was trusting him to guide her, to hold her up, to keep her from falling, and that trust made his heart twist with happiness.

Reaching the bed, he once again repositioned his arms so he was supporting her back as he slowly lowered her down. She never once stopped looking into his eyes.

Once she was fully settled in, he slipped his hands slowly from under her. His heart regretted the loss of the touch but his mind reminded him that they weren’t done. He reached down and found the top button of her blouse. His thick fingers looked massive compared to the delicate enclosure.

He took his time working each of the buttons, his jeans tightening in concert with the loosening of her shirt. Each time he freed another button, more of her creamy white skin was exposed. Again, his mind flashed between the present and their youth. He recalled a tutoring session in the basement of her house that led to her laying on a couch as he fumbled with the buttons of her shirt. 

The sensation of stretching denim was exactly the same.

He was happily letting himself fall into the memory once again when a thought flashed through his mind: The memory he was re-living ended with her mother and father returning home, with Iris hurrying to re-fasten her shirt as they listened to the sound of pounding feet above them. 

This time, there was no one to interrupt them.

Declan grinned with happiness to himself.

He held out his hand. Iris took it and he gently pulled her to a sitting position before pushing the soft fabric of her blouse back over her shoulders. The warm light from the lamp highlighted the flushing pink tones of her skin. His eyes followed the shallow valley between her breasts, marveling at the occasional freckle.

She struggled to free her wrists from the shirt as he leaned forward and kissed the small brown dots that complemented her porcelain skin, the heat of her body warming his face. Once again, Declan harkened back to his high school self by reaching around her with one hand and releasing the hooks of her bra. He grinned; he was much smoother in executing that particular move than he’d been so many years ago.

The black and white lace and satin bra dropped effortlessly down her arms and Declan moved his lips, drawing her nipple between them as he eased her onto the bed once more with the arm that was still wrapped around her.

Iris let out a satisfied sigh as his gentle suction pulled at her breast. That sound…this was actually happening. Finally, after the intervening years – 15 years of separation – they were going to be one again.

He took his time selfishly drinking in every sensation as his lips traversed her upper body. His head lowered to trace the swoop of her belly below her ribs. His tongue flicked a quick circle outlining her shallow navel. The fleeting touch caused her to giggle, a sound that echoed with magic and promise in his ears.

His tongue then traced a line to her hip. That spot where her jeans hid the rest of her from him. He felt her smooth skin wrinkle. Her flesh was still soft on the surface but instead of being smooth, it rose and fell beneath his lips. He pulled back just a little but before he could focus his eyes on her skin, she sucked in a quick breath and her hand pressed at the top of his head. 

“That’s…don’t…” she stumbled, a hint of tears filling her voice as she struggled to explain.

Declan rolled to his side and reached up, taking her hand from his head and placing her palm against his lips. He kissed his way up her arm before he pulled back to look at her face. Her cheeks were a brilliant red and her eyes were panicked. She looked like she’d been backed into a corner by a dangerous snake and his heart hurt, knowing that he was the cause of that panic.

“It’s okay,” he whispered reassuringly, running his hand down her flushed cheek.

“This is a mistake,” she bit off, the struggle to control her emotions evident in her tone. “I’m not the same. I’m not that perfect girl anymore. I’m not what you deserve. I’m broken.”

Declan drew her to him and stroked his hand down her back. He felt the tension slowly ebb as she sucked in air, her warm breath tickling his skin with each exhale.

“I’m not the same either,” he said in a soft voice when he sensed her starting to calm down. “I know you have some scars, and some things are different now.”

He drew in a deep breath and snuggled her closer to his side. He felt her body meld a little to his – just the tiniest give – but it gave him hope, and the courage to keep going.

“But I also know that you’re the same woman who I fell in love with. Inside, you’re the same woman who taught me Spanish, taught me to kiss, and taught me how to regret. I pushed you away because of my own failings. It was the worst thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve mourned that loss and cursed my stupidity every day since then. I know you’re different. We all grow up and get wrinkles and gray hairs, but I need you to know that I want your scars. I want to see and I want to know because there is nothing I have ever wanted more in my life than you.”

Declan’s arms instinctively flexed, pulling her tighter to him, as his mind desperately hoped his physical actions would convince her of his need for her.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, finally breaking the silence. “I just ruined an amazing moment.”

“No, you didn’t,” Declan said, and he absolutely meant it. “You made this moment amazing. If we were still kids in your parent’s basement, we would’ve plunged forward. I never would’ve taken the chance to tell you how I feel. I need you to know how much I’ve missed you, and how much I need you to be part of my world. You gave me that chance. Thank you.”

Declan knew he would never admit it out loud, but he was stunned by the blatant honesty of his own words. He didn’t tend to spill his thoughts out like this, but having Iris in his arms…

He felt whole again. And brave.

“Thank you for finally saying it,” she responded, craning her neck away from his body enough to capture his lips with hers. Once more, her tongue darted into his mouth and then retreated, his tongue eagerly chasing after her. As they kissed, her hand found the buttons of his shirt. Much more graceful than he could ever hope to be, she released his shirt.

Her hand was cool against his skin, her slim fingers seemingly minute compared to his broad chest.

He urged her back onto the bed. Letting their embrace end, he hurried to pull his arms free of the long sleeves. Once he was finally able to shed the damn thing, he returned to her hip. Placing his lips on the small bit of visible scar peeking out above her waistband, he explored the peaks and valleys with his tongue as his fingers fumbled with the button of her jeans.

It was an eternity before he felt the satisfying release of that button. He quickly pulled them off her, along with her socks, and then leaned back on his elbow to take her in.

Okay, he was staring. But he couldn’t help himself. Naked except for the tiny patch of satin fabric that matched the bra that lay crumpled beside her on the bed, Iris was a sight to behold.

He drank her in until he couldn’t resist the urge any longer, and then bent over once more to kiss her skin. Starting with the velvety skin around her ankle, he worked his way up her legs, moving from one leg to the other as he covered her with kisses. 

The scars started just below her knee and ran up her right side. Light and silvery, they told him about the pain she’d gone through; the inner strength she’d had to make it through to the other side.

Declan had never thought about beauty in a philosophical way before, but as he compared the difference between her unmarred side to the other, he found himself enjoying the contrast. Something about the asymmetry of her body reminded him of life. The contrasting of the scars humanity tries to hide against the perfect bits everyone wants to show the world…it made sense to him.

How does she do it? How is it that this woman teaches me so much so easily?

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” she prompted once again, nudging him toward progress.

Declan pulled back, a devilish grin splitting his face. “You think so, huh?” he asked, reaching up to hook his fingers under her panties. Again, she lifted off the bed as he tugged the delicate satin down her legs. He then stood up at the end of the bed, kicking at the heels of his boots while yanking and tugging at his belt. His eyes made long, thorough sweeps of her naked body.

He felt himself harden as he took in the tuft of bright red hair that emphasized the point where her thighs met.

Finally, he got his pants and boxers off his hips and to the floor. Cursing under his breath, he snatched his jeans back off the floor and searched through the pockets until he emerged, triumphantly holding a condom aloft.

She giggled, and he decided right then and there that he’d do a lot to hear that sound again and again.

After rolling the protection in place, he hurriedly yanked his socks off, flinging them away as he placed first one knee and then the other back on the mattress. Her legs spread apart to accommodate him as he moved closer, their eyes locking with fierce need. He didn’t know how much longer he could last; he was rather afraid he’d unman himself like a young randy teenager. She was so damn gorgeous…

His hands landed on each side of her shoulders and finally, he lowered his body against hers. She reached her head up to him, their lips connecting in the same moment he felt his tip press against her opening.

He stayed like that, hovering at her entrance as they kissed, until she lowered her head back onto the pillow.

“It’s about damn time,” she whispered with a grin.

Declan realized with a jolt that he’d been subconsciously waiting for her permission. He wanted Iris to be as sure about this as he was. With her sweet little joke he had it. Finally.

His hips flexed and he entered her in one smooth motion. Iris wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself to him, lifting herself off the bed and letting his movements lower her back down.

Their wait was finally over.