I only allowed the tears to fall in the safety of my shower—and only because I could easily dismiss them as the water already running down my face.

When I got under the covers and curled up with a pillow clutched in my arms, I refused to shed any more. I also refused to acknowledge that I was holding the pillow the way I wished Aaron would hold me.

After three hours of tossing and turning, I was in that weird place between asleep and awake when I heard a muffled sound nearby. I grumbled and removed my head from beneath the pillow, frowning when the banging occurred once more.

I looked at the clock and groaned. It was a few minutes past midnight, which meant it was probably one of my neighbor’s harem banging on his door. A regular occurrence, unfortunately. I’d never said anything to him about the grief his late-night visitors caused me, but maybe now was the time to do it. Why couldn’t they just call first?

In my bitchy mood, I was ready to seriously chew someone out. It wasn’t until I was in the living room that I realized the banging was coming from my door.

Mandy was the only visitor I ever got—especially at odd hours. I frowned as I rushed over to unlock the door and let her in. Did something happen at the store after I left?

“What’s—oh.”

Aaron was standing outside in full uniform, his hands shoved into his pockets.

“Can I come in?”

“How did you know which apartment was mine?”

“I asked around.”

“Is that why you didn’t go home to change first? Because you knew you’d get an answer dressed like that?”

A wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he shrugged.

“Maybe. So can I come in?”

“That depends. What do you want?”

I expected another weak apology or maybe a lecture about not being a bitch to police officers and driving away when you’ve been pulled over.

Aaron was never predictable, though. He rushed forward and grabbed my hips before I could back away—stifling my squeak of surprise with his lips.

It was a hard kiss with little of the passion from our last one. No, this was intended to be a message. A warning.

He pulled back abruptly, his eyes scanning my face as he once again asked, “Can I come in?”

The true meaning behind his words was obvious. I nodded and watched with wide eyes as he closed and locked the door before immediately undoing his belt holster. Once his gun and badge were safe on my coffee table, he stalked toward me and quite literally swept me off my feet. My legs instinctively went around his waist.

“I won’t ask twice, Jessa. Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’m sure.”

“Good.”

With a quick shift, he was holding my weight with one hand on my ass while the other reached up to cup the back of my neck. He dragged me down to meet him and I sighed against his lips.

As he blindly stumbled forward, what was about to happen finally struck me. My secret crush—the man I suspected might be the one—was about to take my virginity. Heat rose to my cheeks and I tightened my legs, not willing to risk him running away again.

He broke the kiss to look over my shoulder at the doorway he was approaching, moving faster when he realized it was my bedroom. I leaned down to lick his neck and he groaned loudly. His footsteps stopped as he turned his face to me and gently bit down on the column of my neck. I shuddered in his arms.

“I’ll take good care of you, sweetheart. I promise,” he whispered against me. “You trust me?”

“I trust you.”

He eased me down to my feet and ran his hands up my stomach, pausing just below my breasts. His fingertips traced the curves over the thin fabric of my nightgown until I shuddered.

Aaron’s eyes were locked on the stiff points my nipples made in the fabric and I arched my back, hoping he’d take the hint and move his hands there. I let out a disappointed whimper when he ghosted them back down my sides until he was gripping my hips.

“Don’t pout,” he said with a chuckle as he lifted me off my feet again and laid me on the bed. “I’ll give you what you need.”

He gave me a great deal more than that when he tugged the gown down enough to reveal one of my breasts. Embarrassed, I tried to pull it back into place just as his tongue darted out and licked me.

“Ohh!” I gasped when he sucked it between his lips and flicked his tongue against the stiff peak. “A-Aaron.”

He continued his ministrations for a while before tugging the gown down further and switching to the other side. I was too turned on to be embarrassed, even though there was a small voice in the back of my head whispering that I must look like a mess.

He popped off with a loud sucking sound and whispered, “I want to look at you.”

As soon as the words left his lips, he rolled off my body and laid back on the bed. He kept himself propped up on his elbows as he stared at me through hooded eyes and beckoned me with a heated, “Come here.”

I sat on my knees and shuffled close to him. I didn’t know exactly what he wanted me to do, so I ended up awkwardly sitting beside him, waiting for further instruction. He pulled at my waist until I got the message and straddled him. I leaned down and surprised him with a kiss, using the moment of distraction to attempt to hide how nervous I was.

I tried to unbutton his shirt, but his insistence on holding me flush against his chest made it impossible to do. With a bit of a huff, I sat back on my knees and reached for the buttons. Aaron shot me a sexy smile as he assisted, pulling the tails out from his slacks and letting the fabric fall open. My hands immediately reached out to touched the exposed skin.

“Let me see,” he commanded in a husky voice. When I failed to respond—too fascinated by the way his muscles tightened beneath my curious touch—he gently grasped my wrists and pulled my hands away. “Show me.”

He jerked his chin at me and I finally realized what he wanted. My hands shook even more as I gripped the hem of my nightgown and slowly raised it over my head. The audible sound of his sharp intake of breath made me feel more confident than I ever had before. Confident enough to open my eyes and gauge his reaction.

Aaron shot up in bed and tugged me closer, our skin touching for the first time. It was my turn to suck in a breath as he ran his tongue and lips across my neck and shoulders—everywhere within reach, really—and he responded to the sound by bucking his hips below me. My body responded instinctively and my own hips rolled back and forth over the thick length.

With a growl, Aaron pulled me closer and flipped us over. Stunned by the fast movement, I didn’t object when he hooked a hand beneath one of my thighs and jerked my leg up. With my knees parted, he angled himself between them and rubbed the hard length directly over my soaked panties.

“Aaron, please.”

“Do you even know what you’re begging for, sweetheart? Do you know what you need?”

His lips crashed to mine again, giving me a chance to think about his questions. The truth was—no, I had no idea what I was asking for and no idea what I needed. All I knew was that he could give it to me.

Breathlessly, I broke the kiss and panted, “You. I need you. That’s all I know.”

He rested his weight on one elbow and his other hand dipped between my legs. I yelped in surprise when I felt his fingers lifting the fabric of my panties to the side, but I couldn’t close my legs. He had my thigh pinned.

“I don’t know how much foreplay I can take tonight. Want you too much,” he whispered just before his finger touched my overheated flesh. “Ahh, that’s my girl. Wet and ready for me.”

“Your girl?”

He nuzzled my neck with his nose and hummed. “Mmm. Yeah, my girl. Are you on the pill?”

“Yeah.”

Aaron was clearly pleased by that. He had a lazy smile plastered on his lips as he sat up on his knees between my thighs and stripped off his shirt.

“Do you want me to use a rubber?”

“Would you?” I asked in a daze, mesmerized by the way his muscles moved as he stripped.

Aaron’s hand paused over his belt. “Of course. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you comfortable, Jessa. I like to act like I’m in charge, but you really have all the power here. If you tell me to stop at any point—I will. No questions asked.”

It was exactly what I needed to hear. I knew him well enough to know he meant it and I didn’t try to stop the smile that threatened to crack my cheeks. Aaron smiled back at me with obvious affection.

“Are you going to take that off?” I coyly asked, reaching out to place my fingers on his belt.

A deep, throaty chuckle met my ears at the same time the sound of clinking metal did. With one quick jerk, the belt was free of all the loops. I watched him handle the leather with ease, wondering just how much experience he had with it in the bedroom.

He didn’t leave his spot between my legs to remove his shoes and socks, but wriggling the pants and boxers down his hips was a little more complicated. It was my turn to prop up on my elbows and watch as his cock sprang free and my mouth fell open as it bobbed in the air.

“Oh. I get it now.”

“Get what?”

I had to forcibly tear my eyes away to meet his as I said, “Why you called my choice of vibrator wimpy. You were comparing it to yourself, weren’t you?”

“Smart girl. So tell me...” he trailed off as he reached for my hand, bringing it down and gently wrapping my fingers around his shaft. “How do I measure up?”

I was so fascinated by the feel of it—hot to the touch, such soft skin covering the hard, heavy weight—that I couldn’t respond. He mistook my silent wonder for fear and gently pulled my hand away.

“Sweetheart? You okay?”

“Never better.”

He looked doubtful. “You’re not nervous?”

“No. I mean—it’s big. It’s bigger than I expected. But after seeing the size of some of the dildos we carry... I’m actually kind of relieved.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said with a laugh.

I squealed when he abruptly manhandled my legs together and held them in the air before reaching down to wriggle my panties off my hips. He dragged them up my legs and flung them behind him before taking a knee in each hand and spreading me open before him.

With a shift of his hips, his cock was rubbing against my center. My eyes shut on their own accord, a moan slipping out when the tip bumped against my clitoris.

“Condom?”

“No,” I moaned. I was certain if he left the bed even for a moment, I would spontaneously combust. “Like this.”

One hand left my knee to guide his cock to my center and a moment later, I was crying out from the sensation of the broad head pushing into me. Thankfully, he covered my body with his, allowing me to dig my nails into his back as he fed his cock into me inch by inch.

“My girl,” he murmured against the shell of my ear. “You’re so beautiful.”

“W-Wait! Please wait,” I gasped.

He stopped instantly. I shuddered as I tried to relax the muscles that were flexing wildly at the intrusion.

As I took deep breaths, Aaron stroked my hair and whispered, “Take all the time you need.”

“Is it all the way in?”

“Not quite.”

“Oh God,” I whimpered pitifully. “Go ahead. Slowly.”

He hesitated for a moment before pulling his hips back and pushing a little further in. I clenched my teeth and dug my nails into his skin, writhing my hips in an attempt to get him deeper. He obliged with a groan and sank all the way in.

“There,” he panted, pushing himself up on his arms so he could watch my face. “All the way. How’s it feel? Does it hurt?”

“Not... exactly.”

“Not making me feel any better here, sweetheart,” he said with an incredibly strained laugh. “Do you want to stop?”

“No! It doesn’t hurt, I just feel… full. It’s kind of weird.”

Aaron hummed thoughtfully before shifting his weight to rest on one forearm. He gripped my hip with his free hand and angled me up as much as he could before sliding his finger to where our bodies met.

I jerked violently when he touched my clitoris. Trapped beneath his weight, my bucking was useless. I was stuck feeling every overwhelming shock of pleasure that shot through my veins.

“How’s it feel now?” he asked with a wicked grin.

“Incredible,” I breathlessly moaned as another shock made me shiver. Each time it happened, I could feel my walls clamp down around his cock. The more it happened—the better he felt inside me. “M-Move a little.”

The slow drag of his cock as he pulled out made me moan, but I practically screamed when he pushed back in. Was it supposed to feel this good? My body was on sensation overload. Every point where we touched was on fire.

“Want more?”

“Yes!”

Aaron rolled his hips in a fluid motion, his finger still expertly working my clit. I forced my eyes open to watch his expressions, wondering what the two of us must have looked like right then.

The mental image of his back flexing as he pumped into me drove me wild. My heart thundered in my chest and my labored breaths were louder to my ears than the sounds coming out of my mouth. Aaron realized what was happening better than I did and sped up the movement of his fingers. I cried out and clutched his shoulders as the climax hit—shaking wildly as heat rolled through my entire being.

“That’s my girl,” he praised as he wrought every last bit of pleasure out of my orgasm. “I can feel you coming, baby. So fucking tight.”

When I started to shake from overstimulation, he removed his hand and rested his arm beside my head before speeding up his thrusts. Had I not been so overwhelmed by the force of my orgasm, I probably would have been embarrassed by the loud, wet sound of his cock drilling into me.

Besides, it was very clear that Aaron was loving it. Soon enough, his grunts were louder than the wet squelch and I swore I could feel his cock swelling even more.

“Feels so good—too good,” he panted against my shoulder, kissing the skin over and over before moving to my lips to whisper, “I’m gonna come. You want me to pull out?”

I was torn between wanting to feel it inside me and wanting to feel it on my skin. Just the thought of him marking me—branding me—in such a primal way turned me on beyond belief.

“I don’t care,” I whispered, crying out when he started pounding into me hard. “Unh! In me, on me—wherever you want. Make me yours.”

“Oh fuck. Jessa!”

Aaron’s voice was broken, pleading—but for what, I had no idea. I reached my arms up to brace my hands against the headboard to keep myself from sliding on the mattress as he became even more aggressive. There were no words to describe how good it felt.

“Yesss. So fucking wet for me,” he growled. One of his large hands came up to grab my wrists, tearing them from the headboard only to pin them against the mattress. “All mine. Gonna fill you up, sweetheart.”

My breath caught in my throat as his expelled in a rush. A split second later—he choked out my name and abruptly stilled. I could feel the heat of his orgasm deep inside and the feeling intensified when he gave a final jerky thrust and groaned loudly.

“Jessa...”

“That was amazing,” I whispered in a daze. When I felt him trying to pull out, I whimpered. “Don’t go yet.”

“I-I have to,” he said, his voice strange.

He pulled out with a wince and sat back on his heels, staring between my spread legs. The intent look on his face embarrassed me, but he caught my thighs when I tried to close my legs.

“I’ve never done that before,” he admitted, trailing his fingers over my core. “Finished inside without a rubber, I mean.”

“Was it… Did you like it?”

Aaron was still breathing heavily as he slid our combined wetness around, dipping his fingers inside with a hiss.

“Loved it.”

There was warmth in his gaze as he stared at me for a long moment, yet I felt coldness coming into the room as he stood from the bed and wandered through the open door to the right of the bed. He returned from the bathroom a moment later with a wet washcloth and cleaned the mess between my legs, then gently prodded me to use the restroom before bed.

My heart broke a little when I came back into the room. Aaron was standing at the foot of the bed in his boxers, staring at the mattress with a pensive look. Was the regret starting so soon?

I softly asked, “Will you stay?”

His eyes met mine and a lump formed in my throat. He held his hand out to me and I was powerless to do anything but join him. We laid down together and he tucked me beneath the covers before drawing my back tightly against his chest.

I closed my eyes, wondering how long he’d wait before he slipped out.