At one time I would’ve blushed at his words. But I was a different, more confident, woman now.

I grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him into the bathroom and closing the door.

“I like where this is heading,” he smirked before lowering his head and pressing his lips to mine.

He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, clasping the hair at the nape of his neck between my fingers. He shuffled towards the shower, reaching inside to turn it on. I pulled his shirt off and tossed it into the corner of the bathroom, then gently removed his glasses and set them on the counter.

He nipped at my lips and chin gently with his teeth, driving me crazy like he knew it would.

I slid down his body, unbuttoning his jeans. He grabbed a condom packet from the pocket and kicked them off.

Both still in our underwear, he pulled me into the shower.

I shrieked at the cold temperature but he silenced me with a kiss. The water began to warm…or maybe it was my internal temperature…but it didn’t matter.

Our lips moved in sync, our bodies melded together. We truly were made for each other in more ways than one.

He kissed me slowly, teasing me. His tongue slipped between my lips and I gasped in pleasure.

A part of me had thought that after all this time we might get…bored with each other or something, but honestly, we were more in love than ever.

I cupped his stubbled cheeks in my hands, deepening the kiss. “Trace,” I pleaded between breaths of air. “I need—”

“What do you need, baby?” He cut me off. “Tell me.”

“I need you,” I pleaded.

“You have me,” he kissed the sensitive skin of my neck, causing me to shiver. I had forgotten about the water beating down on us and was completely absorbed in the moment.

He tore my panties off and they landed on the bottom of the shower with a wet thud. His boxers soon followed. Then he was lifting me, pressing my back against the tile, and slipping inside me. An embarrassing moan of pleasure escaped me and he hummed in response.

My eyes met his lust filled green ones and my muscles tightened. That look in his eyes, the one that said he loved me completely, always managed to get to me. I never thought I’d have a man look at me the way Trace does. With so much love and devotion. I thought that kind of love only existed in fairytales. But it was real. I had it and everyone should get to experience it.

A breathy moan escaped my lips and I gripped his shoulders.

“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed against the skin of my neck before peppering it with kisses.

I wanted to tell him that he was wrong. He was the beautiful one. Not just on the outside, but on the inside as well. I didn’t believe there was anyone else as kind, amazing, and pure of soul as Trace. From tidbits he’d confided in me over the years, I knew after his dad died he’d gone off the deep end, and even before that he’d been more concerned with being the rich party boy…but somehow he found himself and the person he truly was, was quite remarkable. More people should aspire to be like him.

“Trace,” I moaned, my hold on him tightening.

“Let go, baby,” he murmured. “It’s okay.”

He kissed me deeply and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I let go, clinging to the high, knowing he’d catch me when I came crashing back down.

Trace pulled a loose blue and gray plaid shirt on over his wife-beater, leaving it unbuttoned. Grinning, he shook his head like a dog, spraying water droplets from his hair all around the room.

“That’s a cute look,” I giggled, assessing the mess he’d made of his hair. It was currently stuck up in random directions.

“Thought I’d try something new,” he smiled proudly. “You don’t like it?”

“It’s…interesting,” I tilted my head, studying him, as I leaned against the doorway to the bathroom.

He reached up, brushing the strands down. “Better?”

“Better,” I crossed the room, flopping on the bed. “I’m so tired and I didn’t even drive any,” I groaned, stretching my aching and sore muscles…although, they were tired for a completely different reason now.

“Get up,” he reached for my hand, pulling me into a sitting position, “we’re not going to sleep yet.”