His smile lit up his face, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. “Always such a lady.” He placed his hands on her face and kissed her cheeks and the end of her nose. “Always so polite.”

Sarah’s heart beat quickly and erratically. She’d spent many a sleepless night wondering if she’d ever be close to him this way, if she’d ever have the courage to try again. But hearing he loved her… Well, that changed everything.

“Is this okay?” he asked softly as he continued to place kisses strategically on her face.

She nodded because that was all she could do. The anticipation reminded her of a long-ago time when she’d looked upon a young air force officer with stars in her eyes, thinking the sun and the moon rose and set on him. For a while, they had. For a short while, everything had been perfect.

“Don’t think about the past, Sarah,” Charlie whispered. “Think about the future we’ll have together.” His lips skimmed over hers in a caress so fleeting she almost missed it. “Think about how great it’s going to be once we get you free of the past. Can you do that?”

She wanted to so badly. She’d never wanted anything more than to grab hold of the life he envisioned for them. “I want to try.”

“I want to help. In any way I can. You’re stuck with me now, sweet Sarah.”

Stuck with him. She expected to feel trapped and imprisoned the way she had before, but she was well aware that in this case, all the choices were hers to make. “I like being stuck with you.”

“Good,” he said with a small grin. He leaned in closer, moving slowly so as not to startle her.

She appreciated the care he took to ensure her comfort, even if some parts of her were very uncomfortable. The heat of desire that zinged through her veins was a revelation. It’d been so long since she’d felt anything resembling true desire that it took a moment to recognize the sensation for what it was.

With only a half inch separating his lips from hers, he seemed to be waiting for something. He was waiting for her.

Summoning the courage that had eluded her for so much of her life, she shifted ever so slightly, closing the remaining distance until her lips pressed to his.

A noise that might’ve been a groan came from inside him, but he didn’t move or react or do anything else that might scare her away. Rather, he let her decide how this first, most significant kiss would happen by remaining perfectly still and giving her full control.

Sarah placed her hand on his face and slid her lips over his. “Charlie…”

“What, honey?”

“Kiss me back.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded as her heart beat erratically.