Blake slid one hand up and bit that instead. I closed my eyes and relaxed and slid my lips down his shaft, and swallowed him deeply, almost to the root. The sound he made then was almost a scream. His hips jerked, his abs jumped, and he bunched his fists in the sheets.

“God, Claire, I?—”

I moaned around him to make his cock pulse. Slid my hand up his thigh, nails on bare skin.

“Oh, God,” he gasped. “Stop. It’s too much.”

I pulled off with apop. “Stop now?”

“I don’t want our first time to be a five-second wonder.” He drew a deep breath and gripped his cock at the base. “Come up here, come on.”

I crawled up and kissed him. Blake flipped us over and caught my hands in his.

“I don’t want to presume, but did you bring?—”

“My pocket. No, this one.” I still had my jacket on, and I pulled it off. Blake took it from me and felt through the pockets. He came up with a condom and tore off the wrapper, and I snatched it from him and rolled it on.

“Impatient,” he said.

“Yeah? Canyouwait?”

He rocked back on his heels and took his time with my clothes, undressing me slowly, one piece at a time. Every inch of skin he bared, he bent to kiss it. In a way, it was torture, never enough. In another, more urgent way, I wished it would never end. Blake’s kisses were fire, his breath hot on my skin. When I shuddered, he lingered to tease and caress. He mapped out my body one kiss at a time, till I couldn’t stand it and I grabbed him by his hair.

“No more,” I said.

He smirked. “No more what?”

“No more teasing. I need you right now.”

His smirk widened, but I’d had it. I pulled him down hard.

“Right now.”

“Yeah? Now?”

“Unless you want a smack.”

“I wouldn’t say no to that. But right now sounds good.” He slid into me slow, one long, deep thrust. I arched up to meet him, and the dam broke. Blake couldn’t hold back any more than I could, and he fucked me hard, a punishing rhythm.

I bit back my cries at first, but Blake was moaning my name, and I hoped I’d been right about nobody hearing. I let myself pant for him, scream for him, beg for him, until my throat went hoarse and I ran out of breath. I knew when Blake was close by the way he tensed up, and I let myself tumble over the edge. I saw stars for a moment, then my vision went white, and the next thing I knew, I was cuddled up to Blake’s chest, letting him comb out my hair with his fingers.

“You’re good at that too,” he said.

I smiled. “So are you.” I moved to get up, but Blake pulled me back.

“Don’t go.”

“I’m all sweaty.”

“So? You feel good.”

I stretched out against him, content in his arms. Soon his breathing evened out, and I knew he was sleeping. I wriggled around till I could see his face, his lips still curled up in a slight smile. Had he meant what he’d said about wanting to see me? About wanting us to be more than a hookup? I’d said I did too, but hadImeant it? One day, he might be called off to war. Not today, though, and not tomorrow, and probably not a whole lot of days after that.

I closed my eyes and laid my head on his chest. Tonight was Thanksgiving, and I had a lot to give thanks for. The future would keep, at least till the morning.

CHAPTER 4

BLAKE