I was harder than a fucking steel rod. My cock jammed against my zipper, demanding to be free, to be buried within the tight, hot body of Roxie. I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to stay calm, to be collected.

But the way she’d looked at me. The way she’d reacted.

She’d been turned on. I’d seen it, hell, fucking felt it. The air had heated, my entire body had become tense, and my cock had gotten harder than it ever had before. All because she’d looked at me like she wanted me.

I’d had to get up and leave, get some air, some space. I wanted to tell her, and I would. I’d tell her how much I loved her, that she was mine before she knew it. I couldn’t stand to even think about her with another man.

God, I’d saved myself for her, because no other woman did it for me. No other female would ever do it for me. Roxie was mine, and it was now or never. I’d waited long enough to tell her that we belonged together.

I took one more swig from my beer, set it on the coffee table, and turned to face her. She was watching me, her face looking so fucking perfect, her gaze locked on mine. She was nervous, I could tell. I could see it in the way her pulse beat wildly at the base of her neck, and the way her chest rose and fell harshly.

And just when I was about to open my heart to the girl I was madly, deeply in love with, she cleared her throat and started talking first.

“I don’t want things to get weird, but I have to say something.”

My body tensed. I expected the worst, expected her to know how I felt from the way I’d acted just moments ago. I assumed she’d say nothing could ever happen between us, even though I’d seen that she was worked up, aroused.

She was silent for a second, clearly in her thoughts. And then when she looked at me, her eyes so big, so round and expressive, I braced myself.

“I love you, Axel. God, I love you so much it hurts.” She let out this breath, as though she’d been holding it in.

The air left my lungs like I’d been sucker punched in the gut. I couldn’t even move, let alone form a coherent word.

She loved me. My girl loved me.

Images, words, they all played through my mind, things I wanted to say to her, do with her. I wanted to say the words back, give her that affirmation that I loved her too. But the words were lodged in my throat.

Instead I cupped her face, her skin so soft, her cheeks so delicate in my big, scarred hands.

“Say it again,” I whispered, needing to hear it again.

She smiled, and my heart kicked into overdrive.

“I love you, Axel. I’ve always loved you, and I will love you until there’s nothing left of me.”

I pulled her on top of me, her legs now straddling my waist, the smile on her face priceless. This was what living was, what being truly happy felt like. I’d always been happy with Roxie because having her in my life, even as just a friend, was good enough for me. Losing her because I’d fucked things up, even inadvertently, was a nightmare I had.

“God, baby,” I whispered, not sure if this was real or one incredible dream. “I love you too, so fucking much.” I stroked my finger along her cheek. “I’ve loved you from the moment I even knew what that was, from before that, hell.”

She smiled, this soft, sweet, and innocent one that had my cock jerking.

“It’s only ever been you for me, Roxie. You’re it for me.”

I had my hands in her hair, my mouth on hers. I kissed her like my life depended on it, like I was losing this battle and the only way to survive, to win was to kiss her.

She had her hands on my shoulders, her nails lightly digging into my cotton-covered skin. I wanted those nails in my flesh, wanted them scoring my skin, marking me as hers.

Because I was hers, the same way she was mine.

“Is this really happening?” she whispered against my mouth, and all I could say, the only sound I could form was a soft grunt.

“Whatever you want is yours.” I kissed her again, sliding my tongue between her lips, letting her taste me, taste what I had for her, what I wanted from her. She was so small atop me, her body almost fragile compared to my brutality. I felt like I could break her if I wasn’t careful. “I’ve been waiting for you forever, baby.” I rested my forehead against hers, and we breathed the same air, our respirations frantic.

She started kissing me, her lips smooth, soft on mine. I let her take the lead. I let her set the pace. I rested back on the couch, giving myself over to her. My cock was so fucking hard, the length pressing painfully against my zipper, the fucker demanding to be free.

“This is about you. This has always been about you, Roxie.” I wasn’t going to rush her, wasn’t going to push her. She was the one in control, even if every single part of me wanted to take her to my room, strip her clothes off, and make her feel really fucking good.

She didn’t speak for a second, but I had all the time in the world for her.

“I’ve never been with anyone, Axel.”

The air left my lungs painfully. Although I pretty much knew she was a virgin, my possessiveness for her making me like a fucking hawk when it came to guys sniffing around her, hearing her say the word was still so powerful.

“Fuck, baby.” I groaned and kissed her hard. “I’ve never been with anyone either. I only want you.”

She started breathing harder, faster.

“I want this, want you.” She dug her nails into my shoulders again. “I want to be your first, and I want you to be mine.”

I closed my eyes and groaned. I might be a virgin, but shit, I wanted to do some pretty fucking filthy things to her. The truth was I was proud I had never been with anyone else. She was it for me, always had been, and always would be.

If she wanted this, I was going to make her know, make her feel by using my body, how much she meant to me.

“This is really happening, right?” she asked, her voice almost dazed.

“Oh yeah, baby. This is so happening.” I kissed her again, showing her with my body just how much I meant my words, showing her that she was it for me.

I didn’t have to be an expert in bed to know how to please my girl. I’d show her how good I could make her feel, hear her cry out in pleasure when I was buried deep in her, claiming her virginity the same way she would claim mine.

I crushed her to me, my big arms around her smaller body. She felt good against me, smelled incredible, and I was harder than granite.

I speared my hands in her hair and kissed her until we were both gasping for air. I wanted to drown in her, wouldn’t even care if I died right now. My dreams were coming true, my girl was in my arms, wanting me, and all was right in the world.

How would she feel if I told her all these years it was her I’d jerked off to, her I’d thought about naked, shaking in pleasure for me, crying out my name, as I had my hand wrapped around my cock?

But this moment wasn’t one of my fantasies. She was here. This was my reality.

She pulled away, gasping for air, her lips red, swollen.

“Kiss me again,” she moaned.

I did just that.

I held her still with my hands in her hair as I fucked her mouth like I wanted to do between her legs. And when she arched into me, her breasts pressing into my chest, I just about let go.

Roxie was ready for me; I knew that without a doubt. She ground her sweet jean-covered pussy on my lap, right over my cock, and I lifted my erection so it pressed against her.

I needed more, so much more.

Without even being inside of her, I knew I could have come, knew I could have gotten off from kissing her alone.

Roxie panted against my mouth, and even if I wanted to kiss her forever, never stop until my lips were bruised, I did pull back.

As much as I would have loved to take her right here, the truth was I wanted her in my bed, naked, under me, ready for it all. I could have been drunk on her scent, on the feel of her, the way she held on to me, looked into my eyes with such longing and passion.

“Take me to the bedroom, Axel. Take me to your bed.”

My heart pounded like a fucking jackhammer in my chest, a war drum beating against my ribs.

I wrapped my arms around her, held her to me, and got off the couch. I walked into the bedroom. My cock was digging between her thighs, my need for her so strong, so powerful I couldn’t even think straight.

When we were in the room, the door shut, Roxie in the center of my bed, I took a step back. Even fully dressed she was so fucking gorgeous. She was the most beautiful woman in the world.

“I need to be with you,” I said, not sure if she even understood me. My voice was deep, serrated, my desire for her like gasoline on an open fire.

And she didn’t hesitate in the slightest. I watched as she sat up, undressing for me, her focus trained on my face. I wanted this moment to be in slow motion, wanted to absorb every second of it, have it ingrained in my head like a brand.

And then she was naked, every inch of her creamy skin on full display. She had a light sprinkling of freckles along her shoulder blades, ones I’d seen before, but now they meant so much more. Now they were set in an intimate place.

A part of me wanted to go slow, to make this last. But another part of me wanted to take her roughly, possessively. I wanted to spank her perfect ass until the red print of my hand was on her flesh, a mark of my claim.

Virgin or not, I knew what I wanted, how I wanted to give it to her, and trying to be sweet and gentle—the way she deserved—was going to be fucking hard.

“Your turn,” she whispered, and I didn’t hesitate to get undressed.

I let her look her fill; let her really take in every inch of me. Hell, I’d done the same to her, wanted to do that again now.

And when she lowered her gaze to my cock, her eyes widening slightly, I felt like a crude bastard for grabbing my dick and stroking myself. I liked her watching me, got off on her breathing changing because she was turned on.

“Come here, Axel,” she said. I didn’t even think about not doing what she wanted. I gave my dick one last tug, this harsh sound leaving me.

When I was right in front of her, she gazed up at me, a look of innocence written on her face.

“What do you want?” she asked, this genuine curiosity laced with her arousal.

I could have tried to be gentle, spouted poetic shit to make her blush. Instead I wanted her cheeks turning red because of the dirty fucking things I said to her.

“I want to be deep inside you, so deep there isn’t a place I’m not touching. I want you to feel me everywhere, your pussy stretched around my cock, your mouth open with cries of pleasure.”

And her face did get red, her pupils dilated, and I could see the glossiness of her arousal between her thighs. I was trying not to be a caveman, but fuck, all I wanted to do was devour her.

Her focus was on me the whole time, her pulse beating frantically below her ear.

I was transfixed as I stared at her creamy skin. This anxiety slammed into me.

I knew there was no way I could make this last, not with how much I wanted her. But she deserved so much more than I knew I could give her. I let my gaze travel over her legs and stopped for a second to stare at her pussy. God, she was so fucking gorgeous. This small thatch of trimmed hair covered her, but I could see the outline of her lips, the little nub of her clit, the curve of her ass.

I lifted my gaze to her breasts, the mounds perfect, and not more than a handful. And her nipples were tipped pink, the hard nubs standing on point, as if eager for my mouth.

I couldn’t stop myself. I got on my knees before her and lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her for a second. I ran my tongue over her top lip and did the same to her bottom, her flavor sweet, like spun sugar.

The sound she made was sweet, erotic, and all for me.

“I need you,” she said against my mouth. My control was slipping, barely hanging on as it was. I didn’t want to totally lose it with her, wanted to be the man she deserved, but it was hard. I wanted her so fiercely I felt it in my bones, the very marrow.

“I need you too, baby.” The desperation was clear in my voice, thick like molasses, covering me, coating every inch of my body.

She arched slowly, erotically. I could tell this wasn’t about her trying to be sexual. She just was, always.

Christ. So good.

“I’m so hungry for you, so damn hungry I’ll never get enough.”

“Axel.” She said my name, her voice laced with pleasure.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I fell in love with a fighter, with a man who can take down anyone who stands in his way.” She reached out and touched my chest. “I won’t break.”

My throat tightened, my cock jerked, and I prayed I didn’t shoot my load like some damn teenager. But having Roxie here, her body like a goddess, her need for me strong, made this seem so fucking surreal.

“You deserve sweet and slow, Roxie. You deserve someone to make love to you.” I was a boxer, born and bred to be hard-core. I was alpha all the way, especially with Roxie. She deserved candles and chocolate, music playing in the background as she was made love to, caressed and spoken softly to.

I worried I couldn’t give her that.

“I want you, Axel.”

Fuck.

“Don’t be gentle. Don’t worry about me,” she whispered. “I know who you are, what you’re capable of. I fell in love with that man, and that’s who I want between my thighs.”

Holy Mother of God. I was going to lose it right now, just lose it before I even had her. But I was glad she’d told me that, because going easy, being gentle when I was over the edge would have been hard as fuck.