His mouth slid down her long legs, to the inside of her soft thighs. Involuntarily, her legs moved farther apart to give him more access. One big hand had moved right in between her legs, his thumb pressing in a place that shocked and delighted her all at the same time.

She made a sound, a tiny protest.

“Let me,” he whispered huskily.

So she did. Her hips lifted to his hand and she shivered as she felt a taste of pleasure that was like holding a live wire in her hands, She cried out softly.

His mouth pressed down hard on her stomach while his fingers slowly, tenderly, invaded her. He felt her flinch, just barely.

He lifted himself so that he could see her eyes while he did it. “Don’t look away,” he whispered.

Her lips fell apart in a silent gasp as she realized what he was doing. She flinched again and her nails bit into his arms.

“I’ve never done anything this exciting in my life,” he said roughly as he watched her. “My God, it’s…it’s…beyond words,” he whispered as he felt the whispery protection of her body come away in his fingertips. He flushed as he looked straight into her eyes. “Oh, baby,” he breathed. “Baby!”

She was shivering. There hadn’t been much pain, but she was beginning to realize what she was doing—almost. Just as she thought that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, his hand shifted again and she moaned and lifted toward him in an arch.

“There?” he asked softly, and did it again.

“I… I…never…” she stammered.

“I know.” They were only words, but there was a world of emotion in them. He shifted over her, so that she could feel the hard press of his skin all the way up and down her own body. He shivered, once, as his mouth slid tenderly over hers and cherished it. Still, that expert hand taught her body new sensations, kept her in thrall, while he eased between her long legs and she felt the press of him at her innocence.

Her eyes opened wide and her fingers dug into his upper arms.

He took a long, shuddering breath and moved down, right inside her body. He stilled, and they stared at each other.

She flushed. It was so intimate. She couldn’t have imagined anything more intimate, even more than what he’d already done with her. But she wasn’t fighting him. She could feel him, inside her, warm and hard and tender.

He pushed a little harder. She swallowed, hard, but she didn’t push at him or try to get away. Her eyes were still looking straight into his.

“All the way, this time,” he breathed, and his hips pushed down. He let out the breath that had caught in his throat. “Okay?” he asked tenderly.

She shivered. “O…okay.”

He eased completely into her and he groaned, harshly, his eyes dilating as they met her shocked ones.

“You’re…inside me,” she whispered shakily.