Soft at first, and slow… gentle.

And then deeper…hungrier.

More urgent.

When I opened my mouth to tentatively touch his tongue with mine, he exhaled shakily, and the shudder that rolled through his big body gave me comfort.

He was feeling this, too.

This kiss meant something to him.

I meant something to him.

Giving into temptation, I let my legs fall open, inviting his big body to settle between them.

The moment he obliged, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hooked my legs around his narrow waist, knowing that I didn't stand a chance against the feelings that were battering my heart.

We started something a very long time ago and time hadn't changed a single thing for me.

I loved him when I was three years old and I loved him now. I still only wanted to be with him. Be it friends or something more, he was the other part of me. The part that I wanted to stick to like glue.

"Intimacy," he whispered against my lips. "It's a big deal for me, too."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say," I breathed, urging him to never stop what he was doing.

"I'm being serious. I don’t get intimate with anyone."

"Oh please," I half-moaned/half-purred as he rocked his body against mine. "You've had sex dozens of times."

"So?" Pulling back, he tucked my hair behind my ears and leaned close to nuzzle my nose with his. "That was sex. This –" he paused to press a kiss my lips before whispering, "This right here is intimacy, Dolly."

Oh god.

"Maybe I want both?" I lost my mind and blurted out. He stilled above me and I quickly threw myself into kissing him as deeply as I could.

Breaking our kiss, Daryl knelt between my thighs and slowly reached behind his back. "You said taking your clothes off is personal –" he paused to yank his shirt over his head, "I wanna get so fucking personal with you, Dolly." Tossing his on my bedroom floor, he pushed his hand through his dark hair and looked down at me. "Tell me no and I'll stop. Tell me to leave and I'll go. You call the shots here, Dolly."

"No." I shook my head almost frantically, feeling my heart spike at the thought of him leaving. "I don’t want you to stop or leave."

His eyes blazed with approval. "What do you want?"

Feeling a little light headed, I reached up and trailed my hand down his washboard abs before snapping the waistband of his sweats.

His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. "You sure?"

I nodded weakly. "Positive."

Blowing out a shaky breath, Daryl leaned down and pressed a kiss to my mouth before reaching for hem of my shirt. The minute he did that, I turned to stone on the mattress below him.

"Can we…" Coiled tight with anxiety, I clamped my hands on his shoulders and squeezed. "Not take my clothes off while we do this?"