“I know. That’s why we’re here, with one tent and one sleeping bag.” She leaned in, keeping her eyes open as she brushed her lips over his. “Do you want me, Cooper?”

“You know I do.” He pulled her closer, took her mouth with a sudden and fierce possession that arrowed heat straight to her belly. “Jesus, Lil, you know I do. No point in asking if you’re sure, if you’re ready. You’re always sure. But… We’re not prepared. A tent’s not enough for what we’re talking about. At least, the kind of tent you’ve got in that pack.”

It made her laugh, and hug him tight. “I have a box of tents.”

“Sorry?”

“Condoms. I have a box of condoms. I never go camping unprepared.”

“A box. That makes the one I’m carrying in my wallet kind of unnecessary-and okay, thank you, God-but where the hell did you get condoms?”

“My mother gave them to me.”

“Your…” He closed his eyes, then gave up and sat on a rock. “Your mother gave you a box of condoms, then let you come out here with me?”

“Actually, she gave them to me a week ago, and asked me to promise to be sure and to be careful. I did, I am. I will.”

A little pale, Coop rubbed his hands on the knees of his jeans. “Your father knows?”

“Sure. He’s not home loading up the shotgun, Coop.”

“It’s weird. It’s just weird. And now I’m nervous, damn it.”

“I’m not. Help me set up the tent.”

He rose. They worked quickly, efficiently, securing the small, lightweight tent.

“You’ve done this before, right?”

He glanced over at her. “You don’t mean camping. Yeah. But I’ve never done this before with someone who hasn’t-done it before. It’s probably going to hurt you, and I don’t know if it’s even any good for a girl the first time.”

“I’ll let you know.” She reached out, laid a hand over his heart. All she could think was it was beating for her now. It had to be. “We could start now.”

“Now?”

“Well, I’m hoping you’ll get me warmed up first. I brought an extra blanket to spread out.” She pulled it out of the pack. “And since you’ve got that condom in your wallet, we could start with that. Otherwise, it’s all we’re going to think about.” Steady and sure, she took his hand. “Maybe you could lie down here with me, and kiss me awhile.”

“There’s nobody else like you in the world.”

“Show me, will you? You’re the only one I want to show me.”

He kissed her first, as they stood in the sunlight beside the blanket, and put everything he had that was soft and gentle into it.

He knew she was right. It should be here, in the world that belonged to the two of them, the world that had brought them together, and linked them together forever.

They lowered to kneel, face-to-face, and she sighed against his lips.

He stroked her, her hair, her back, her face, and finally her br**sts. He’d felt them before, felt her heart kick against his palm when he touched her. But this was different. This was prelude.

He drew off her shirt, and saw the smile in her eyes as she drew off his. Her breath caught when he unhooked her bra. Then her eyes fluttered closed as for the time he touched her there skin to skin.

“Oh. Well. That’s definitely warming me up.”

“You’re like…” He searched for the right words as he cupped her br**sts, used his thumbs to tease her ni**les. “Gold dust, all over.”

“You haven’t seen all over yet.” She opened her eyes, looked into his. “Things are coming to life inside me I didn’t even know were there. Everything’s all jumpy and hot.” She reached out, rubbed her palms over his chest. “Is it like that for you?”

“Except I knew they were there. Lil.” He bent his head and took her breast into his mouth. The flavor of her flooded him, the sound of her shock and delight raced wild through his blood.

Her arms came around him, urging him, and stayed around him when they collapsed on the blanket.

She hadn’t known there would be so much. Storms and waves and shudders. Nothing she’d read-not the texts, not the novels-had prepared her for what happened to her own body.

Her mind seemed to lift out of it, release it, so there was nothing but feeling.

She raced her lips over his shoulder, his throat, his face, giving in to the urge to feed on him. When his hand stroked down her torso, fought open the button of her jeans, she quivered. And thought: Yes. Please, yes.

When she tried to do the same for him, he drew back.

“I need to…” His breath came ragged as he dragged his wallet out. “I might forget, just stop thinking.”

“Okay.” She lay back, touched her own br**sts. “Everything feels different already. I think… Oh.” Her eyes widened as he yanked off his jeans. “Wow.”

Elemental male pride at her reaction had him slanting a glance at her as he ripped open the condom. “It’ll fit.”

“I know how it works, but… let me.” Before he could sheath himself she sat up to touch him.

“Holy shit, Lil.”

“It’s smooth,” she murmured as another wave of heat rolled through her. “Hard and smooth. Will it feel like that inside me?”

“Keep that up, you’re not going to know for a while.” His breathing fast and shallow, he caught her wrist, pulled her hand away.

He struggled to focus, concentrated on the protection. “Let me,” he said as he lowered to her. “Just let me this first time.”

He kissed her, long, slow, deep, and hoped his instincts ran true. She seemed to soften under him, and then as he stroked his hand down, quivered.

She was already wet, and that nearly undid him. Praying for control, he slipped a finger into her. Her hips arched up as her fingers dug into his back.

“Oh, God, oh, God.”

“It’s good.” Hot, soft, wet. Lil. “Is it good?”

“Yes. Yes. It’s…”

She felt something rise up, fly off, and take her breath with it. He was kissing her, kissing her, anchoring her, letting her go. She arched again, to find more. Then again, again.

This, she thought, this.