I didn’t even notice the scars now. They may have been visible to the naked eye, but I knew the ones that’d pained him the most were now healed. And that was all I wanted for him—to feel whole and at peace. The way he made me feel.

When he was finally standing before me, a tower of naked strength, I switched to my knees, anxious for what was to come. So much was in store for tonight. And all the days, months, and years after tonight.

“Go easy on me,” he teased, stepping closer. “Don’t get me off in ten seconds. I have to save a little of my ego.”

“I’ll be gentle. Well, I’ll try, at least.” I chuckled, then eagerly closed the space between us and fisted his cock and cupped his balls.

When I held on to him, his quad muscles immediately and visibly flexed before my eyes. The flames from the fire threw shadows across his gorgeous, rock-hard body as I leaned in, ready to take him.

I licked the head of his crown, then dragged my tongue along the side of his thick length, unsure how he fit in me last time. And it’d be a tight fit tonight after seventeen years.

Wow. Literally, seventeen to the day.

He tangled his hand in my hair as I opened my mouth and slid my lips over him. Nowhere near a perfect fit since he was so big, but at his snarling and groaning, he seemed to be enjoying it just fine.

“Stop. Stoppp,” he ordered not even a minute later, a string of Italian words spilling from his lips before he urged me to back off. “Screw my ego. I can’t last with your mouth around my cock, and I’m not ready to get off.” He had me on my feet and on the bed within seconds.

We hadn’t had the protection talk, and I was sure he’d come prepared with a condom in case that was what I wanted, but it wasn’t.

“I want nothing between us,” I said as he braced himself on his forearms over me. “I want you to come inside me.”

His nostrils flared as he peered into my eyes. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He kissed me, and I rotated my hips, anxious to feel him. “You can give me that first.”

My heart swelled at his words, at what he was letting me know.

“It’s going to hurt.” He brought his lips to my forehead, then to my temple, reverent and tender.

I clutched his arms to prepare for his thrust, knowing it’d be painful.

“The idea of hurting you hurts me,” he whispered, his lips trailing to my other temple, then to my nose, then to my lips.

“It’ll be so worth a few seconds of pain. Can’t enjoy the rainbow if you don’t⁠—”