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Exhaling shakily, I climbed off her and stood up, knowing that it was way too soon but resigned to doing it anyway. “You can say no,” I told her as I slid my fingers into the waistband of my jocks and pulled them down. “You canalwayssay no,” I added, stepping out of them and moving back to her. “And I’ll hear you, okay?”

Nodding, Shannon pulled herself up on her elbows, attention riveted on my dick that was standing at full mast.

“Yeah…so, this is my dick,” I stated and then mentally kicked the shite out of myself for saying something so fucking stupid. Like I needed to label a cock and balls.

Jesus Christ.

“Yep.” Shannon blew out a shaky breath and sat all the way up. “That’s your dick, alright.” I held my breath as she reached out and stroked a finger over the head, and of course my dick jerked and twitched from the contact. “It moved.” Her gaze flicked up to meet mine. “By itself.”

“You’re encouraging it,” I choked out, feeling weak at the knees as I took a step closer. “Touch it and it’s going to get all kinds of fucking notions.”

She trailed her fingertips over my scars and exhaled another loud breath. “You’re so beautiful, Johnny.” Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to the jagged line on my pelvis before placing another one on the scar much lower. “I love you so much.”

Fuck.“I love you, too,” I bit out through clenched teeth, hands balled into fists at my sides. There were no words to explain the sensations that flooded my body when she put her lips on me. Deciding to sit down before I collapsed, I lowered myself onto the bed and pulled Shannon down so that we were on our sides, facing each other. “We don’t have to do anything, okay?” I said, cupping her cheek. “I’m happy just being here with you.”

“Johnny?” she whispered, mirroring my movements by cupping my cheek.

My breath caught in my throat. “Yeah, Shan?”

“Shh.”

And then she kissed me.

And Ilostit.

Whatever sliver of self-control I’d been clinging to snapped the instant she decided it would be a good idea to put her lips on mine. Pushing me onto my back, Shannon climbed on top of me, never once breaking our kiss as she slid her hands into my hair, doing that thing with her fingers that drove me fucking mental.

I couldn’t take it. She was too much for me. Rolling her onto her back, I settled between her legs, kissing her deeply as I stretched a hand out and reached for my bedside locker. Slapping around aimlessly, I accidentally dropped my hand down on the remote to my stereo, causing Athlete’s “Wires” to blast loudly from the speakers. “Shite,” I growled, reaching for the remote. “I’ll turn it off—”

“No, it’s okay,” Shannon breathed against my lips. “Leave it on.”

Groaning into her mouth, I yanked the drawer open and grabbed the box of condoms, while throwing a silent prayer to the heavens, thanking Jesus for my fucking fantastic best friend and his forward thinking.

Good man, Gibs…

Fumbling around one-handed, I managed to tear open the box and pull a condom free. Tossing the box on my bedroom floor, I settled between her legs, hands shaking like an ivy leaf, matching the rest of me. “You sure, Shan?” I asked, tearing my lips from hers as I ripped open the wrapper and rolled the condom on. “You really want this?”

“I really want you,” she whispered, nodding up at me, and I swear my heart seized in my chest. I couldn’t take the sight of her laid out on my pillows. She was too much for me.

“I love you so much,” I choked out, voice thick with emotion as I settled between her legs and dropped onto one elbow. “I’ll be careful,” I added, kissing her deeply as I slowly nudged myself against her. “I promise.”

“I trust you,” she said softly, hands moving to my hips. “I want this with you.”

“It might hurt,” I admitted, pressing my forehead to hers as my heart pounded so hard against my rib cage that I could hear it. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid,” she whispered, pulling on my waist and tilting her hips upward.

I could feel her, so warm and hot and fucking perfect, and Jesus, was I scared. I’d never been more frightened of breaking anything in my life as I was in this moment with this girl. She was the virgin, but I was the one shaking enough for the both of us. I felt too much for her. I loved her more than was safe for me.

“I want this,” she whispered, curling her arms around my neck and pulling my lips closer to hers. “I promise,” she added before pressing her lips to mine. Her tongue invaded my mouth, stroking mine with that sweet, tentative touch I craved so much.

A deep shudder rolled through me and I clenched my eyes shut before pushing inside her in one steady thrust. Shannon whimpered and I froze, heart racing violently in my chest. “Are you okay?”

Nodding, she clung to my neck and slammed her lips to mine once more. “Keep kissing me,” she begged.

Holding my hips still, I continued to kiss her, desperate to soothe the ache I knew she was feeling as her body jerked and stiffened beneath mine. “I love you,” I whispered between kisses, over and over again, as emotions I’d never felt in my life battered through me—all for, because of, and directed toward this girl. “I love you so much, Shannonlike the river.”

I was holding on to my self-control by the skin of my teeth. The prospect of moving inside her was almost too much for me to take. She was so tight, so fucking warm. Every time she clenched, clamping down on my dick like a vise, my eyes rolled back in my head. The small, needy little whimpers and moans coming from her as she adjusted to the feel of me inside her werekillingme.

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