Nate came into the bedroom and stood before her, hands on his hips as he took her in. “I don’t want to rush you into anything.”

“You’re not.” She patted the bed, inviting him to join her. “You’ve been nothing but patient and kind and sweet with me.”

He sat next to her, put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “You’ve become very important to me.”

“Same.” She rested her head on his shoulder, at ease now that he was there. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m scared of having sex. I’m not even sure I can do it, because every time I think about it, my brain is overrun with images I’ve imagined to account for the attack I don’t remember. And I know how bizarre that sounds, but I can’t help it.”

“We don’t have to, Brooke. I meant it when I said that’s not what this is about.”

“I know you did, but I was thinking… Maybe what I need is to replace those images with different ones, special ones, so that when I think about sex, that’s what I think of, not the horrible stuff.”

“You’re sure about this?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure of anything, except that I want to try.”

Nate leaned in slowly to kiss her for the first time, going all out to ensure their first kiss would be unforgettable. The spark that had simmered between them since the night they met ignited into a flame so quickly, she barely had time to react before they were reclined on the bed, arms and legs intertwined as one kiss became two and then a dozen.

“I knew it would be like this with you,” he whispered.

“How is it?”

“Incredible.”

They kissed for so long that Brooke lost track of time as she let herself experience pleasure and desire for the first time. The attackers had taken so much from her, but she refused to think about that awful night while in the arms of the man she loved.

His hand dipped under her sweater, making her shiver from the feel of his skin against hers. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Are you?”

“I’m much better than okay because I’m here with you.”

She tugged on his oatmeal-colored thermal shirt. “Take this off.”

He sat up to pull the shirt over his head, revealing defined muscles that made her want to touch him all over. “What?” he asked when he caught her staring at him.

“You’re so hot.”

“Shut up,” he said, laughing.

“You shut up.” She got up on her knees. “Can I touch you?”

He scooted closer to her. “I really wish you would.”

Brooke ran her hands over his chest to his arms and then back again, before venturing down to caress rippling abdominal muscles.