The work week seemed endless. Bobbi enjoyed her job but the only thing on her mind was her upcoming date with Ron. They saw each other every day and they’d even gone for pizza at the park again yesterday, but it wasn’t the same as being alone with him. She and Sandy had made arrangements for Julian to spend the night on Saturday and then Sandy’s son, Dean, would come to Bobbi’s the following week. Ron was leaving Sam with his other sitter, June, so they would have the whole night to themselves.

Initially, the whole idea made her nervous, but now that the day had arrived her nerves melted away and all she felt was excitement. Her shyness and overall insecurities had kept her from enjoying many things over the years, but this was the kind of second chance not a lot of people were lucky enough to have.

Over the last few days, she’d come to terms with getting involved with another military man; anything else would mean giving up on Ron and that wasn’t something she was willing to do. Not after all this time. Second chances were rare, no doubt about it, and the one thing she knew for sure was that she wouldn’t find someone else like him. Instead of continuing to overthink everything, she was figuratively and literally letting her hair down.

No conservative braid tonight, she thought with a smile, fluffing it out and letting her hair hang down her back. She was in a new dress too. It had been on sale and it was the prettiest thing she’d owned in a long time. Maybe ever. As she slid it over her head, she looked at her reflection in the mirror and bit her lip. She looked pretty. She’d gone light on the makeup but heavy on the mascara, adding an extra dab of gloss to her pink lips. Ron already liked her; she didn’t have anything else to prove. Except maybe to herself.

She jumped when the doorbell rang and hurriedly slid her feet into high black heels that matched her little black dress. When she opened the door, Ron caught his breath, staring at her for a long moment. His eyes raked over her, burning with unmistakable desire, before drawing her close and whispering against her ear, “You’re going to make me do something very ungentlemanly.”

She snickered. “Like ravage me before dinner?”

“Exactly.” He stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind them.

His mouth was on hers before she could react but she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Her eagerness must have been contagious because there was no easing into it; he walked her backwards to the couch and sank down with her in his lap. His hands skimmed her ass, moving up her back and ending in her hair, drawing her even closer to him.

“Bedroom…” she murmured as her head fell back.

“Too far,” he whispered in response, reaching down to slide her dress up and over her head.

“Ron…” She was breathless, unsure what to do as he ran tender fingertips down her ribcage. He was doing something incredible with his tongue along her collarbone and an inadvertent moan escaped her.

“Just tell me if we’re going too fast,” he breathed, “because you’re so fucking beautiful I don’t know how long I can hold back.”

“No holding back.” She arched her chest into his hands and this time he was the one who moaned. His thumbs were making little circles around her nipples, until they were hard, aching points. Their faces were close together, noses touching, but he wasn’t kissing her; instead, the smoldering look in his eyes all but burned her skin and she had no choice but to allow it to sizzle from head to toe.

Breath mingled, bodies close enough to exchange heat, an unfamiliar need began to coil deep in her belly. He stroked her breasts, cupping them in his big hands before lowering his head to suckle one and then the other. With each passing second, she got more and more sensitive, every nerve ending in her body suddenly alert and on fire. She fumbled with the buttons of his button-down shirt before restlessly pushing it off his shoulders. He wasn’t huge but every inch of skin was toned, muscular and tanned, a U.S.M.C. tattoo on his shoulder drawing her eye. She bent to press her lips to it, nipping him with her teeth. She sucked on the skin, the salty taste making her tongue tingle and the spot between her legs grow damp.

“You ready for this, baby?” His breathing was a little choppy as he pulled back, getting a condom out of his wallet.

“So ready,” she whispered, sliding back to give him room. She started to kick off her shoes but he was shaking his head.

“Leave those on,” he growled softly. “But take off your panties. I’m dying to see you.”

Before she had time to get embarrassed, she shimmied them down her legs and then stood up straight, watching him intently. Once again, he carefully looked her up and down, slowly devouring every inch of her now naked body with his eyes. When they finally came up to meet hers again, they flashed with passion, promise, and a touch of something that caught her by surprise: adoration. He wanted her physically but there was much more to it than that. The look he gave her spoke volumes. One glimpse into the depths of those silver-gray eyes showed her everything, from what he’d felt in high school to the unbridled need he had now.

Something inside her melted into a molten puddle of goo as she straddled his lap. “Please,” was all she said.

Ron managed to get his slacks off despite the beautiful naked woman in his lap whose mere proximity was making him perilously close to shooting off like a randy teenager. He fumbled for the condom and slid it down his aching shaft just as she positioned herself above it.

“Easy, baby, let’s slow down.” He reached for her, digging his fingers into her hair and pulling her head to his. This time he claimed her mouth like a man possessed, capturing her tongue and making it his. They swirled and curled, mouths locked as if some supernatural force kept them together. She was so hot and ready, poised to accept him, and he used his hand to tease her with the tip of his cock. He rubbed it back and forth, watching her face as he made her wait. It was going to be too good to hurry, so he continued to torment her until she whimpered, gripping his shoulders and squeezing.

“Ronnie…”

“I know, babe. Soon…” He slid a finger into her dripping center and swallowed hard, unable to believe how wet she was. Smart, sweet Roberta had morphed into delectable, sexy Bobbi before his eyes, and without warning, he removed his finger and flexed his hips to thrust up deep. She gasped, stretching around him, sinking down to take all of him. Fully sheathed, her fingers sought his, and for what felt like an eternity, neither of them moved.

As intimate as two people could possibly be, eyes, bodies and souls merged together, a moment of exquisite intimacy passed between them. It was heady, almost other-worldly, a lightning strike of desire mingled with a thunderous passion so strong it washed over them like a warm, textured blanket, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

“Oh, baby, you’re fucking everything…” His lips took hers more gently this time, but his cock moved deep inside of her, thickening, hardening, until the pressure was too intense for either of them to ignore. She rose up, her eyes glued to his, and slid back down a fraction of an inch at a time, until he was fully seated again. She enveloped him, and it was divine, warmer and sweeter than any he’d had before. He rocked his hips upward and forward, until she started to move, meeting him stroke for stroke.

Watching her ride him was captivating. Better than anyone or anything he’d ever felt and as they rode towards climax, she gripped him tighter and tighter. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying he could hold on long enough to get her over the edge. She was covered in a fine sheen of sweat now, bucking on his lap, making little sounds that got him even harder.

“So good, baby…” His finger moved to the perfect little nub that was aching for him. He stroked it in time to her movements and her breath started to come faster. “That’s it, beautiful. Let me see how gorgeous you are when you come.”

“Ronnie…”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Oh!” She lost control, an almost inhuman sound breaking from her chest as she came, and it was so sexy he growled in response. “Ronnie!” His name came out in a rush as she exploded around him and he jerked. A familiar tightening told him climax was imminent and he followed her over the edge, fingers digging into her hips as he thrust up so deep neither of them could move. He pulsed inside of her, her own fluttering walls milking him dry.

Eventually they stilled and she collapsed against his chest, damp tendrils of hair pressed into his skin. He stroked her back, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist. For a long time neither of them spoke, but finally he stirred.

“Let me clean up,” he whispered. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” She slid off his lap and onto the couch, her eyes closed, and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips before disappearing into the bathroom.

She was still in the same position when he came back out and bent to lift her.

Her eyes fluttered open. “Where are we going?”

“To bed for round two.”

“Oh.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Can I take my shoes off now?”

“Nope.”