“Fantastic.”

He watched her as she shifted, finding her way, moving slowly up and down, languorously destroying every thread of control he possessed. She rode him gently, carefully, clearly enjoying each slow slide of her body over his.

“You ready for a little more?” His voice cracked.

“More?”

“There’s a lot more but today, I’m going to show you a little more.”

She nodded, looking like the most erotic creature he’d ever seen.

“Ready?”

She nodded again, a little uncertainly.

He bared her clit with his fingers and pressed his thumb against her. Her eyes rolled as she started to quiver and clench around him. He anchored her hip with his other hand, thrusting deeper and harder. Rather than frightening her, she met each thrust with her own, looking as if she reveled in the sensation the same way he did.

He moved from her clit to her nipple and pinched hard enough to have her crying out in release.

The sound made his entire body react and the tightening of his balls warned him he was about to lose it. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes as his climax ripped through him, filling his mind with a bright light and a million sparks of pleasure.

He opened his eyes to make sure Darby was still okay and she had her eyes closed, mouth open, with a look of stunned wonder on her features. She was truly the most magnificent women he’d ever known.

Then she opened those bright, keen, green eyes of hers and held his gaze. “Thank you.”

That she was thanking him made him want to weep at what had been stolen from her. Her sexuality. Her joy. But she’d reclaimed them both and he was happy to have helped. Happy they’d managed to make something together that had been beautiful and right.

“Thank you.” His voice was rough with something akin to sorrow. He would give everything he owned to have saved her from what she’d gone through last summer, but he couldn’t change the past. He could be part of her present and future, if she let him. If they could figure out a way forward.

For now, this was enough.

She collapsed on top of him and he carefully maneuvered them so he could remove the condom. Then he pulled up the covers and she snuggled against him, naked in the dim light.

“Eban?”

“Hmm.”

“Most experiments require more than one data point you know.”

He smiled into her hair. “Give me a little recovery time. In the meantime, get some sleep.”

She drifted off slowly, her breathing gradually becoming deeper and more regular. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to sleeping with someone. He wouldn’t take it personally if she woke up screaming, but he hoped for her sake she didn’t.

Even though she was amazing he wanted her to feel normal because that was what she wanted.

He climbed carefully out of bed, got rid of the condom and put a few logs on the fire.