Today is my little dove’s birthday. Finally, eighteen. Thank fuck. Despite her multiple attempts to convince me to bed her, she’s still a virgin. But not much longer.

Her virginity is mine for the taking tonight.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about tonight. My dick has been stiff as steel the better part of the week in anticipation of finally getting inside my sweet virgin girl. And she’s going to be worth every minute of the wait—and blue balls. I know it’s gonna be so fucking good. So tight. And so very right.

I’ve seen Claudia every day this week but not the way I wanted. Not naked. Not in my bed beneath me. Not with me between her legs.

Owen and River have made it impossible to be alone with her. Those fuckers just won’t go away. They graduated UT last week and moved back to Lynchburg. They’ve been hanging out at my apartment every night, drinking beer and shooting the shit. Robbing me of precious alone time with Claudia.

Our lack of privacy has probably been for the best. I could feel myself growing weaker the last several weeks. I was letting things go further and further each time we were together. She would have eventually talked me into fucking her. I know it.

I’m glad we waited. I had no idea that anticipation could be such an intense form of foreplay. It’s going to make this night even more special and exciting.

There’s not a bit of doubt in my mind. Claudia Laine Bliss is already mine, but tonight is going to solidify it. Bind us forever.

But first things first. We must celebrate my girl’s birthday with her friends and family at her party.

It’s mostly a family get-together since last night was graduation. All her friends left on their senior trip to Florida this morning. I told her to go; I don’t want her to one day regret missing out on that fun time in her life. It’s not something she’ll ever get back.

I don’t care anything about getting sunburned or taking care of my friends after they get trashed. I much rather be here with you, Duke. Doing this. And then she climbed on top of me and we made out on the couch for hours.

“Hey, man. Want to take off after Claud opens her gifts and go over to Becca Sullivan’s with me?” Owen is hooking up with Becca?

“Nah, I’ve got plans.” Big plans. The biggest ones of my life.

“Her hot friend Devin is coming over; she thinks you’re going to be there. The chick’s interested in meeting you. Very interested.”

“Why does she think I’m going to be there?”

“Because I told her I’d bring you with me.”

“Take River.” He’ll have no problem hooking up with her.

“She wants to meet you.”

“Can’t. I’ve got plans with someone.”

“Mystery woman again?”

“Maybe.” I’m not sure how much Owen remembers about the night he walked in on Claudia and me. He’s tried to bring it up a few times but I always shut down that conversation.

“When you gonna introduce her to us?”

Introduce her to us. It’s difficult not to laugh aloud. “Soon, man. I promise.”

“Sounds like you’re getting serious with this woman.”

“It’s very serious. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“Are you thinking you want to settle down with this one? Get married and start popping out kids?” His question is followed by a chuckle.

“I do.”

He studies my face. Maybe waiting for me to start laughing and say I’m jacking around with him. But I’m not. “Fuck, Bram. I was kidding.”

“I’m not. Not even a little bit. This one…” I nod and smile because I can’t help myself. “This one, I’m gonna marry.”

Staci ends any further conversation with Owen about my mystery woman when she announces, “Time for this birthday girl to open her gifts.”

I stand in the corner halfway listening to the bullshit Owen and River are talking about while I watch Claudia open her gifts. A designer purse. Watch. Clothes. New phone. Cash. Gift Cards. She looks thrilled with all the gifts she has received.

“Thank you to everyone who came tonight to celebrate my birthday. And thank you for the wonderful gifts. I love everything.”

“One more to open.” A look passes between Claudia and her mom when she hands her my gift. Her mouth turns up when she sees the gold Mac Jewelers logo on the gift box and she does a shit job of hiding how pleased she is when she reads my name on the card. Good thing all this secrecy ends tomorrow. I think we’re done fooling everyone.

Her eyes widen and her lips part when she sees the diamond heart pendant. “I love it, Duke. Thank you.”

I mouth, “You’re welcome.”

“Is that real?” Owen says.

“Yes.”

“Dude, you better be careful buying diamonds for another woman. The mystery woman won’t like that shit.”

Staci slaps her hands together. “We’ve got grilled burgers, hot dogs, chips, and drinks out back. There’s plenty so help yourself to anything you want.”

Everyone disperses out the French doors toward the food on the patio but Claudia hangs back. She waits until the crowd is gone to come to me and wrap her arms around my shoulders. She kisses the side of my face. Nothing romantic. To anyone else it would appear like a kiss a sister would give her brother. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Not as gorgeous as the girl who will be wearing it.”

“Will you put it on me?”

“Yeah. Turn around.”

She lifts her hair, and as always, her signature peaches and cherry blossom fragrance tempts me, her skin teases me, her nearness seduces me. I want my mouth on every part of her. “We’ve waited a long time for tonight, but I swear to God today has felt like an eternity. I may die before I get you beneath me tonight.”

“Come with me.” Claudia grabs my hand, leads me down the hallway to her bedroom, and pulls her door shut.

“Someone could find us in here.”

She twists the lock on the doorknob. “We’re okay. No one is going to come in here. They’re too busy stuffing their faces.”

My girl reaches for the button of my jeans, yanks it open, and lowers the pull tab of my zipper. “I want to show you how much I love my necklace.”

Oh.

Fuck.

I want that too, but damn. Most everyone we know is only fifty feet away. “Claud. Everyone’s right—” I don’t finish the sentence because she puts her finger over my lips.

“Shh. Just lean back and enjoy what I’m going to do for you.” She opens my jeans and slides her hand into my boxer briefs. “See? You want this. You’re already hard.”

“Of course, it’s hard. It hasn’t quit being hard all week; I haven’t been able to stop thinking about tonight.”

She pulls out my cock and lowers herself to her knees. Fuck. She’s on her knees in front of me. Licking her lips and looking up at me. So fucking hot.

Her warm, wet tongue starts at the base and licks my length. When she gets to the head, she swipes her tongue over the tip and drinks the pearl of moisture. Fuck. She just swallowed my pre-cum.

She wraps her hands around my balls and massages when she takes me into her mouth.

All. The. Way. In.

Deep. Throating.

Fuck. How does my sweet little dove know how to do that?

I place my palm on the back of her head, careful not to mess up her hair, and encourage her to take me deeper, harder, faster. “Your mouth feels like heaven.”

She rubs my balls harder and the suction of her mouth increases, igniting my orgasm. “Watching you fuck me with your mouth is a beautiful thing, baby. I’m not going to last much longer.”

She grasps my hips and sucks harder as her mouth slides back and forth over my cock. “You need to stop if you don’t want me to come in your mouth.”

She doesn’t stop. Hell, she speeds up and digs her fingers into my hips. There’s my answer.

My cum shoots into the back of her throat, and I feel her rapidly swallow around my tip. Damn, damn, damn. No girl has ever done that for me before.

I rub my thumbs down her cheeks. “That was fucking incredible.” And so needed. Maybe now I won’t come after one stroke inside her later.

She looks up at me from her knees. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time, but I knew you wouldn’t let me. That’s why I haven’t tried.”

“You’ll never have to worry about me stopping you from doing that.”

I help her up and rub my thumb over her lips before placing a kiss there. “I had no idea you had such a talented mouth.”

“I did good?”

“You did great. Hell, great doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Her smile tells me how much she loves hearing my praise. “I’m happy you enjoyed it.”

I smack her ass. “Go. You need to get back to your guests before you’re missed, birthday girl.”

“Are you staying to eat?”

“No. I have a few things to take care of before you come over.” I want everything to be perfect.

“Okay.”

I place one last kiss against her lips. “Don’t tarry too long.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

* * *

I meet Claudia at the door when she arrives at my apartment. My eyes meet hers and we’re both wearing the same smile—the one that says Hell, yes. We are finally about to fuck the first of ninety-nine different ways.

Her white sundress is both innocent and sexy. Very fitting for a virgin who’s coming to give up her virginity. One look at her sun-kissed, exposed body and my dick spasms with an intense need to be inside her. “You look beautiful.”

“You said that already.”

“I know but I needed to say it again. Once wasn’t enough.”

“Thank you.” She places her palm against my face and presses a kiss to my mouth. “Someone has gone without shaving for a few days. Any special reason for that?”

“You said you loved the way my stubble felt when I went down on you. I thought some scruff might be even better.” I rub my hand over my chin to test how it feels. “I can go shave if you want.”

She pinches my cheeks so my lips pucker out and she kisses them. “Don’t you dare, mister.”

I pull her into my arms to place a kiss on the top of her head and notice the bag hanging on her shoulder. That’s not a purse. “Whatcha got there?”

She wags her brows and those dimples I’ve always loved and once teased her about make an appearance. “It’s my birthday, but you’re the one getting a surprise.”

“Well, maybe you’re getting a surprise too.” I can’t wait to see her face when she opens her real gift.

“I’m spending the night.”

Fuck, yeah. “How did you pull off an all-nighter with Staci and Shane?”

Her I’ve-been-up-to-no-good smile appears. That wicked grin makes my dick twitch every time I see it. “Lies and schemes.”

I bet she told her parents she’s staying at a friend’s house, which has a high likelihood of backfiring. Chances are good we’ll be exposed. But I don’t care; it won’t matter after tonight. “Do I even want to know?”

She grins as she shakes her head. “It’s probably best you don’t.”

“Is that my surprise? That you’re staying with me tonight?”

“It’s one of your surprises.”

I don’t hate the sound of that. “More than one, huh? Very interesting.”

“There are lots of interesting things to come. And then I hope there are just things that come.”

“I’m certain there will be two things that come.”

Claud licks her lips and rubs them together before she drops her bag on the floor and propels herself into my arms. Guess we’re not waiting around to do this.

I suck her bottom lip and release it with an audible pop before moving my mouth over hers. Our tongues fall into a rhythmic wave, a seductive swirl of soft, wet velvet. I don’t know how I had the strength to control myself with her these last few months. In this moment, I’m powerless to stop devouring her.

The rhythm of our kiss is no longer slow, sweet, and smooth. It’s sensual, seductive, and sexual.

I drag my mouth along her jawline toward her ear, leaving kisses in its path. She squirms when I kiss the sensitive spot below her earlobe. “God, Claud, I want to fuck you so bad that I can’t stand it.”

A rush of guilt forces me to get myself in check when I hear the words I just said to her. Claud’s never done this. I can’t lose control or I risk hurting her.

She pulls back and grabs my face as if sensing the regret and forces me to look down at her. “I want this, Duke. More than I want to breathe.” She grins as she repeats the words I’ve told her on more than one occasion.

“I love you so much, Claudia Laine Bliss.”

“I love you, too, Noel Abraham Windsor.”

I bend down to grab her bag and then her hand. “There’s no going back after we do this. It’s done. You’re mine forever.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” And I have the ring to prove it.

This is it. This is right. And this is happening.