Lara

He stands like a god, like an ancient Greek statue in the closed doorway, and he pulls the shirt over his head, leaving his caramel waves a sexy mess. The light from my yellow lamp deepens the lines in his stomach, and I shudder. His body is perfect, tall and slender but strong.

Fire burns in his blue eyes, but it’s nothing compared to the inferno raging under my skin. My nipples are cool and tight from his kisses, my knees are weak, and the space between my thighs is slick. I’ve never been with a man, but my body knows instinctively what to do. My response to him is primal, undeniable.

I cross the space to him, not waiting for him to come to me. He smiles and pulls me close, and I sigh at the feel of the hair on his chest tickling my sensitive nipples.

“You feel so good,” I whisper.

“Aren’t I supposed to say that?” Large hands move from my waist up the sides of my back, scratching my sensitive skin with his bandages. His lips touch my neck, and the light scruff on his cheek sends thrills radiating to my core.

“I don’t know,” I whisper, every inch of me burning for his touch.

“I’d planned to invite you to my place,” he says against my skin, and I shudder.

“There isn’t time.” I hold his cheeks so I can find his delicious mouth.

Our kisses are hot and wet. I kiss him slowly, tasting his sweetness, fresh water, a hint of mint. He kisses me deeper, holding the back of my neck as he guides us to my small bed.

Gently, he lays me on my back, spreading the robe apart and running his eyes down the length of my naked body like a caress. I wriggle out of the velvet, an ache spreading in my core, a deep need I never knew existed.

He toes off his boots, first one, then the other, his eyes never leaving me. I slide my palms over my stomach, up to my breasts, circling and holding them as his hands work at the waist of his jeans.

“Shit, Lara,” he groans. “What are you doing to me?”

I don’t know. I only know my body craves touch, his touch. My hands slide down to cup the need I feel between my thighs. He hisses, watching my fingers slowly circling, and when he shoves his jeans down, my breath catches.

My eyes widen.

He’s huge, long and thick.

“Mark…” His name escapes on a sigh, and he fists his cock, sliding the dampness over the tip and down, causing my insides to clench.

His voice is low, like a confession. “It’s been a while. I might go fast.”

I have no experience to understand what he means, but instead of climbing on top of me, he drops to his knees and wraps his forearms around my thighs.

“What are you… Oh!” My head drops back and my back arches off the bed as his tongue makes a long, slow sweep up the center of my pussy. “Oh, God, yes!”

He stops at the top, focusing tiny licks on that little spot I circled with my fingers, the spot that makes my body shake and my eyes squeeze shut.

“Oh!” I can’t stop the noises coming from my throat.

My palms hit the mattress, and I grip the sheets in my fists. His tongue is moving faster, relentless, circling and teasing. His lips close over my clit and he sucks me, making me shudder, pulling me closer when I try to wriggle away.

“I’m coming…” I gasp. “I feel it!”

Heat licks at my inner thighs and they quake with every brush of his scruffy cheek. He’s kissing me, licking me, and the wetness is cool on my body. Pleasure expands, ringing through my pelvis, and my forehead burns. I’m shimmering. I’ve never been so high. I’m not sure I’ll ever come down from this…

He’s off me so fast, kissing my navel, licking his tongue over my breast, as he travels up the length to ravage my mouth. I barely even register the rip of foil, the hasty roll of the condom. His tongue meets mine and large hands move my thighs apart. His heavy length is on my stomach before he reaches down and positions the tip.

It’s pressure, large and hot against my dripping core.

My breath catches…

I can’t breathe…

He kisses me again and with a firm thrust, I’m full.

“Mark! Oh…”

“Yes,” he groans, sliding in on my orgasm. “Fuck yes, Lara.”

He rips through my virginity, and I stretch around him. Rotating my hips, I try to accommodate his size. I never knew I could feel this full…

“God, yes,” he groans, thrusting deeper, to the hilt. “You’re so tight.”

“Oh!” I gasp, unable to hide the pain.

His head pops up, and his brow is lowered. Still, his hips rock again. He’s completely inside me, and my knees rise with every thrust deeper. With great effort, it seems, he slows his hips. I clutch his shoulders, doing my best to hold onto him.

“Lara…” Blue eyes hold mine. “Are you a…?”

I don’t want this to stop. I want his weight on me pressing me down, skin against skin. I want to find that other side where the sparkling waves of pleasure wait. I feel them there, just out of reach.

“Not anymore.” I lean up to kiss his parted lips.

The movement rocks my body forward and my clit slides against his shaft. There it is… I do it again, rotating my hips in a dance move, doing my best to grind that spot against his body.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He leans forward and captures my lips again, kissing me long and slow. Kissing me sweet and quick, tracing his mouth along my jaw to my ear.

He moves his mouth into the base of my hair, his heavy breath sending thrills of pleasure down my shoulders and to my clit. His thick shaft is still deep in me, but now his thumb finds that sensitive bud and circles, massaging.

“Yes…” I moan, my body instantly responding to his touch. “Yes, that’s it…”

I’m lost in waves of pleasure, and when the thrusting begins, I only want more. I’m crazed and frantic, rocking my pelvis with every stroke.

His tip finds a place inside me, and the effect curls my toes. My stomach shudders, and spasms erupt through my thighs again. I’m moaning and begging, chanting his name and never wanting this to end as my inner muscles ripple around him.

His hand is gone and he’s on me, we’re stomach to stomach, and I’m meeting him with every thrust, lifting my hips off the mattress to take him deeper until I feel him break.

A low groan and he holds himself, rhythmic pulsing filling me, pushing me higher and higher, yet still holding me down with the weight of his body.

It’s so good.

I understand now.

So much makes sense.

I never want it to end, and I’m sure nothing will be the same after this.

* * *

Mark

After months of turmoil, I’ve found peace.

Soft arms hold me, and Lara’s head is tucked into my chest. I’m buried deep in her gorgeous body. Her legs are around mine, and our bodies seem to have melted together.

I’m not sure I can move.

I’m not sure she wants me to.

Lifting my head, I bend my elbow so I can smooth her hair away from her face with my palm. Her eyes are closed, but she’s smiling. It does something to my stomach, and I actually laugh. How long has it been since that’s happened?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask her, remembering her pain.

Thin dark brows quirk, and blue eyes blink open. “Would it have made a difference?”

“Hell, yes,” I roll to the side still holding her to my chest, still keeping her skin against mine. “I never want to hurt you. I’d have gone slower, been gentler.”

“Maybe I didn’t want you to go slow.” Her eyes trace my face. “I felt like I was burning up inside.”

Yeah, I get that.

My mind drifts over our night. I want to remember everything, from her saying she dreams of me to the first time my lips touched her skin.

“I don’t think I could’ve gone slow,” I say, threading my fingers in her soft hair. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Or touched… or kissed.”

She squirms higher in my arms and kisses my neck. “I’ll never forget this as long as I live.”

Sliding my palm down the length of her back, I follow the curve of her ass, cupping it and pulling her closer. Her first…

It changes everything. It plants crazy notions in my head, words like mine and always. Words I want to say but I can’t live up to right now, especially now that I’ve agreed to work for Gavin, especially when I remember my dark task last night. I could never put her in jeopardy. I could never make her promises I can’t keep.

But I don’t want this to end yet either. “Go out with me tonight. I want to show you my other favorite part of the city.”

Her nose wrinkles with her laugh. “You have a lot of favorites to have only lived here a few weeks.”

“I don’t have much to do outside of work.”

“Sounds like we’re in the same boat.”

I don’t tell her it’s a boat I wouldn’t abandon for anything. She leans closer and presses her full lips to mine. I roll her onto her back, trapping her beneath my weight and kissing her deeper, drinking her in like water, like air, like the peace I’ve found. She’s a beautiful angel in my arms.

I never want to stop.

She wiggles away. “Where are we going?”

Again, she makes me smile. I can’t seem to stop when we’re together. “It’s a surprise. New Orleans is amazing after dark. You’re saying you’ll go?”

Blue eyes study my face. “We can’t stay out late.”

“It’s already late.” I kiss her again. “But I’ll get you home before dawn. Hurry up and change. I’ll meet you at the back door in five minutes.”

I kiss her lips one last time before grasping the condom and sliding out. I hate losing her warmth, but I kiss her stomach. She makes a little noise, and I laugh, disposing of the evidence and jerking my jeans over my hips, my shirt over my head.

One last look, and I’m out the door. “See you in five.”