“Look at me,” Kai commanded, his voice rough.
 
 I forced my eyes open, meeting his intense gaze. The raw emotion stole my breath more than any physical sensation. His hazel eyes were dark with desire but held something deeper, something that made my heart race for entirely different reasons.
 
 “Don’t want you to miss a second of this.” His thumb found my clit, circling with practiced skill. “Want your eyes on me the first time you come with my cock inside you.”
 
 My muscles clenched around him at his words, drawing a groan from deep in his chest. The dual sensations of his thumb and cock working in tandem had me climbing rapidly toward release.
 
 “That’s it,” he encouraged. “God damn, you’re squeezing me so tight. Milk my cock.”
 
 His filthy words, spoken in that gravelly voice, pushed me over the edge. My back bowed as pleasure crashed through me in waves.
 
 He cursed, his rhythm faltering as my inner muscles pulsed around him. “Fuck, Charlie, you’re so?—”
 
 The feeling of him losing control because of me only heightened my pleasure. My body trembled beneath his, aftershocks still rippling through me as he chased his own release.
 
 “Please,” I whimpered, though I wasn’t sure what I was begging for. More? Release? For him to never stop?
 
 His movements grew more frantic, more desperate. Thetendons in his neck strained as he fought for control, but I could feel him losing that battle.
 
 “Charlie, I need to—” He tried to pull away, but I locked my legs around his waist.
 
 “Stay,” I begged. “Please stay.”
 
 “You sure?”
 
 “I want to feel you. I want to feel you come inside me.”
 
 “Fuck, the things you say...”
 
 His hips snapped against mine with renewed urgency.
 
 “Charlie, I’m gonna—” His body tensed above me. “Oh fuck, I’m?—”
 
 The feeling of him pulsing inside me, filling me with his release, sent aftershocks of pleasure rippling through my body. He shuddered through his orgasm, breath coming in harsh pants against my lips.
 
 This is what making love feels like.
 
 The thought drifted through my pleasure-hazed mind as Kai’s weight settled over me, his heart thundering against my chest. His silver hair tickled my cheek as he pressed tender kisses along my jaw.
 
 “You okay?” he murmured.
 
 I hummed contentedly, running my fingers through his damp hair. “More than okay.”
 
 He traced my bottom lip as he opened his mouth to speak.
 
 “Thank you.” The words tumbled from his lips, soft and reverent against my skin. My heart swelled, threatening to burst from my chest at the tender vulnerability in his voice.
 
 I traced the line of his jaw, memorizing the rough texture of his beard beneath my fingertips. A small laugh escaped me, giddy and breathless.
 
 “Thank me? You did all the work.”
 
 The silver strands of his hair fell loose around his face, and I couldn’t resist running my fingers through them.
 
 “That’s not what I mean. Thank you—for letting it be me, for choosing me, forlovingme. I will do everything in my power to be worthy of it.”
 
 Tears pricked at my eyes. How could he not see what I saw? This beautiful, damaged man who’d shown me more care and consideration than anyone before him. Who’d taught me to trust my body, to embrace my desires. Who looked at me like I was precious and treated me like I was cherished.
 
 “Kai, you already are.”