I didn’t answer right away, looking into her eyes. They said more than her lips, letting me know how much she cared for me, whispering encouragement, and beckoning me to take the leap.

“Yes,” I answered truthfully.

Disappointment flickered in her eyes. She looked away, releasing my hand. I gripped hers firmly. There was no way I was ever letting her go.

I was done letting the past hold me back.

“I still don’t think I deserve you,” I told her. “But I want you, Lauren Andrews. I want all of you, your heart, your body, yoursmiles, your scowls, your recklessness, your resilience. Your past, your present, your future.”

I touched her cheek and pressed my forehead against hers.

“I can’t imagine a life without you.”

Then I just closed my eyes, willing my feelings to reach her now that I had said everything I wanted to say.

For a moment, Lauren stayed still and silent, then she nuzzled my forehead as she spoke.

“Oh, Jake.”

I opened my eyes and looked into hers, my heart almost stopping as I saw the same warmth in them that was flooding my chest.

She placed her hand on my cheek as well. “If you want me, then I’m yours.”

I did want her. I’d never wanted anything more.

I captured her mouth in a tender kiss as if imprinting the shape of my lips on hers, wanting her to always remember them along with the words she had just said.

Lauren was mine. Finally mine.

As that realization sank in, excitement spread through my entire body. My heart began to pound. My cock throbbed in my pants.

I grabbed Lauren’s waist and perched her on the edge of the desk so that I could kiss her more fiercely. When she parted her lips, I slipped my tongue in, exploring her mouth like I was doing it for the first time.

This felt like the first time. The first kiss. The first sexual encounter.

Last time was a fluke, an accident of sorts brought about by emotions raging out of control. This was real, a conscious decision to be with each other and enjoy each other’s bodies.

And it was more thrilling than anything I’d ever felt before.

As my desire kicked into another gear, I gripped the hem of Lauren’s shirt, pulling it up. She pulled away and raised her arms for a second so I could take the piece of clothing off her, then placed her hands back on my face the moment it was gone as if she couldn’t get enough of me. The corners of my mouth turned up as they met hers again, over and over. I couldn’t get enough of her either, after all.

With my big hands and my overflowing emotions, I struggled to undo the tiny hooks on her bra. When I finally managed to, I slid my hands to the front to cup her breasts. Just as I thought, they fit perfectly in my hands, her nipples firming up like pebbles against my palm.

I wanted to appreciate them more fully, so I gently pushed her back, her upper body on the desk and her legs dangling over the edge on either side of me. I stared at her bare breasts for a while, taking in the marvelous sight of them. They were a tad more pink than the rest of her, like they were roses in bloom, perfectly round with just a narrow valley between them, and her nipples were like stiff little flower buds in the spring. I could try drawing her breasts, but my talents would still fail to capture their allure.

“Beautiful.” The single word escaped from my lips as I stared.

I must have been staring too long, though, because Lauren started to feel uncomfortable, blushing as she made an attempt to cover her chest.

“Are you just going to stare?” she asked.

That shy expression on her face only made me feel mischievous, something I hadn’t felt in a long while. Lauren was making me feel young again. And free.

I grinned. “Why? What do you want me to do?”

I have expected her to frown and act coy. Instead, she boldly took my hand and placed it on her chest.

“Touch me,” she bid softly with glazed eyes. “Everywhere.”