The bed halts her escape, and she throws her hands up. “Stop,” she blurts, panicked, and I do. Of course I do. Because she’s clearly upset. Emotional. Frustrated. “You don’t even know me.” She’s desperately trying to convince herself that this is crazy. It is, and it scares me too, but at least we’ll be scared together. At last I won’t be alone in this madness.

“I know you’re impossibly beautiful.” I walk forward, thinking I can make her feel so much better if I can just hold her. “I know what I feel, and I know you’re feeling it too.” I stop as our chests brush, and my body responds, the fire inside blazing. I can feel her heartbeat through her dress. Her need. “So, tell me, Ava,” I ask quietly, “what have I missed?”

She drops her face, and I waste no time pulling it back up to mine, feeling like a total bastard when I see tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.” I slide my hand onto her cheek and gently wipe her tears away.

“You said you would leave me alone.”

“I lied,” I say, apologizing again. I couldn’t leave her alone if my life depended on it. And, strangely, it feels like it does. “I can’t stay away, Ava.”

“You’ve already said that you’re sorry, yet here you are again. Am I to expect flowers tomorrow?”

My strokes of her cheeks pause, and it’s my face that hides now. I really am a bastard, but I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t know that she wants me. I’d buy her flowers every day forever, and hopefully they won’t all be apology flowers. There’s nothing left for it. I’ve got to remind her—remind her of how it felt when we kissed. Touched.

I lift my eyes.

And slowly lower my lips to hers.

I need to be gentle.

Gentle and slow.

She doesn’t stop me, and when our lips skim, she’s the one who takes the lead, grabbing my jacket. Oh my God. My body is immediately wracked with shakes, her surrender like the air I need to breathe. It’s as if she’s stretched the elastic band of restraint too far and it’s finally broken.

“Have you ever felt like this?” I ask, pulling her closer, working my mouth across to her ear.

“Never.”

Fuck, me neither. “Are you ready to stop fighting it now?” I ask softly, licking my way up her ear and back down until I’m at the smooth flesh that meets her neck.

“Oh God,” she gasps, and I swallow her words of submission, tenderly plunging my tongue into her mouth, silently grateful when she accepts it, relieved I really haven’t been imagining this. I’m out of my body already. She’s air and water.