My heart soared, and I felt electrified, and I knew that he was telling me that he was worried about things being over before they started, but honestly, I felt desperate too. To discover him, to explore, to satisfy a desire that it felt as if I’d carried all my life, beginning from those first flushed moments staring at his features in a photograph in my girlhood room.

I took a tiny step back and lifted his T-shirt, bringing it up and over his head. I took a moment, just one, to let my eyes roam his smooth, muscular chest and then brought my hand out and laid it over his heart. I’d known his body once, every dip and swell, because I’d memorized him. I’d watched as he picked fruit, and lifted bales of hay, and waded in the creek running through our land. But he’d become a man since then, and I had so much to rediscover. I felt greedy and hungry and breathless with need, overwhelmed by the weight of this moment.

He groaned when I lowered my mouth to one of his flat nipples, weaving his fingers into my hair. “Even this, Em, I… God.”

“I know,” I whispered, and then I went down on my knees.

He let out a small sound that made me smile. It was surprise and gratitude and uncertainty and desperation all mixed into one. And it was the first time I’d ever seen Tucker Mattice willingly hand over full control to anyone.

I unbuttoned his jeans and dragged them down over his straining erection, swallowing as I reminded myself that I would have time to explore him later. This was for him, and it meant that we could take our time after this.

God he was beautiful though. Big and hard and perfectly formed. I ran a finger along a vein and then licked the drop of moisture from his tip. He made another sound of desperate anticipation, and I gave him a small push so that he staggered back and fell into the upholstered chair behind him. Then I pulled his jeans farther down around his ankles and he kicked out of them so I could push them aside. I positioned myself between his thighs, meeting his stunned eyes once before I lowered my head and took him in my mouth. He bucked his hips, and I swirled my tongue, taking one long suck as he gave another helpless thrust, making incoherent sounds of pleasure.

I felt powerful and wonderful and, though I loved fighting with Tuck, I also loved pleasuring him, and never in my life had I felt this intoxicating mix of physical and emotional reactions to any man.