“Lift,” he instructed, and I did, letting him slide my panties down over my hips, hearing his intake of breath when he saw me, finally, fully nude in front of him.

And still, he took his time, tracing the line of my pubic hair, a curly, dark blond triangle, first across the top, then down the crease of my thighs, making me squirm.

“Dale,” I cried, feeling his nose brush through the seam of my sex. “Oh God, please!”

“Mmm.” He couldn’t say anything else, because his mouth was fastened over my sex, all that expert tongue kissing suddenly becoming more than just a tease as he began to kiss my clit. Just like he had with my mouth, he started slow, licking and sucking gently, flicking his tongue, making me gasp and rock my hips up to meet him.

“Oh God!” I couldn’t stop it. I didn’t even want to. His tongue was doing things to me I couldn’t believe, my body quivering, thighs spread so wide my muscles were stretched taut. Dale groaned against me, his tongue mashed flat, back and forth, hands cupping my behind, lifting me to him so he could drink me in as my climax washed over me like a tidal wave. And still he didn’t stop, kissing my sex again and again, just like he had my mouth, like he never wanted it to end, and neither did I.

“Dale!” I gasped, my hand moving in his hair, my eyes half-lidded as I watched him devour me. “Oh again! Again!”

My second orgasm followed my first so quickly it left me almost sobbing, shuddering like I’d just swallowed a live wire as he climbed up between my legs, not giving me even a moment to catch my breath before he was sliding himself up and down the sensitive flesh of my sex.

“Oh fuck.” He stopped, poised at the entrance, looking down at me. “God. Sara. I could come right now, just looking at you.”

I slipped a hand behind his head, bringing his mouth down to mine. I could taste myself and I sucked on his tongue, hearing him growl low in his throat as he thrust deep inside of me for the first time. We both gasped, eyes locked. I felt him, thick and throbbing, and I couldn’t help it—I squeezed him with my muscles, wanting more, more.

Dale moaned, shaking his head, biting his lip, struggling to stay in control.

“You want to come?” I whispered, touching my finger to his lips, the same lips I’d kissed a hundred times, a thousand, until my mouth was swollen and red and chaffed from his.

“No. Yes.” He moaned, eyes closing as I squeezed him again, gently, little flutters. “Oh my God. Fuck! Sara!’

“Mmmm so good,” I murmured, sliding my arms around his neck, wanting to feel him on me, all of him. “Come here.”

He let himself down onto me with a soft, relenting moan, let me wrap him up in my limbs and rock him, his cock like molten steel, impaling me over and over, his breath hot steam against my throat.

“Fuck me,” I whispered, giving him permission, taking him into my flesh, a soft invitation to madness. “Oh yes, like that. Do it harder. I want all of you.”

He grabbed my shoulders, giving himself more leverage as he spread my thighs wider with his, rutting into me now, lost, completely out of control, and I loved it, hanging onto him for dear life, nails digging into the hard muscles of his back. I locked my ankles, arching and pulling him in deeper, my heels digging into his ass, feeling his muscles working as he buried himself to the hilt.

“Ahhhh God,” he cried, arching back, hands planted on either side of my head now, his lower lip pulled in between his teeth as he emitted a low sound, a rising growl, his cock swollen to bursting inside of me. Just looking at him, the hard planes of his muscles working under his flesh, pulled taut, belly twitching, his cock too, made me want to come.

I whimpered, reaching down to rub my clit, so sensitive, immediately responsive. Dale’s eyes flew open and he looked down at what I was doing, at the place where we were joined, my fingers moving furiously in my wetness, taking myself just where I wanted to go.

“Come on,” I panted, meeting his eyes. “Do it. Come with me.”

He dipped his head to kiss me as he pulled out, out, almost all the way out, making me cry out against his mouth, and then slid back in with one, two, three, oh God, yes, like that, I lost count, but then he was coming, and so was I, a sweet, rising delirium, both of us catching and riding the crest of a wave.

I felt every pulse of him as he buried himself inside of me, his body twisting on top of mine as if one more centimeter either way might drive us both up just a little bit higher. My pussy clamped down on him like a vise, milking his glorious length with every delicious spasm. Dale cried out, calling my name, biting my shoulder and my neck, both of us lost in one final, beautiful release, our bodies melting together as he collapsed his full weight onto mine.

I whimpered when he slid out, rolling off of me and reaching for the covers, not wanting it to be over, but I didn’t have to worry. We’d waited a long time to come together, both literally and figuratively, but the first time wasn’t anywhere close to the last time we would come together that night.

It turned out the first time was just the warm-up for what was to come.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Barbara Streisand was telling us to have a merry little Christmas, snow fell heavily outside, and Dale and I were alone in front of the Christmas tree we’d spent all afternoon decorating with his father.

“I can’t believe he’s out on a date.” I took a sip of my hot chocolate. It had lots of mini marshmallows, just the way I liked it.

“I know, but I’m glad. He deserves to be happy.”

“Mm-hmm.” I agreed, eating marshmallows with my spoon. “So is he serious about finding another place?”

“He’s looking.” Dale stirred his hot chocolate, looking thoughtful. “Someone broke into our storage bin again. There’s staff housing near Rutgers.”

“I guess that’s not too far.” I couldn’t imagine not being just moments away from Dale, just two flights of stairs. I didn’t want more distance between us, I wanted less. Even if it scared me.

We sat in silence, watching the lights on the tree blink and the snow fall outside. After a while, I felt Dale’s eyes on me. I put down my empty mug and slid across the floor to get close to him. He smiled, snuggling my head into the familiar niche between his shoulder and neck. Everything was so comfortable with him. It felt as if I’d known him four years, not just four months.

“So, I didn’t see you carry anything in for me.” Dale nuzzled my neck and sent goose bumps down my arms. “Does that mean its small enough to fit in your pocket or you didn’t get me anything because I’ve been such a bad boy?”

“Actually, neither. It’s already here.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“And it’s not totally from me,” I admitted.

“Oh?”

“Well, John and I split the cost. I used some money I’ve been saving for a couple of years, but I still didn’t have enough, so your dad helped out.”

His eyes widened. “Holy cow, what did you get me, a Porsche?”

“Not exactly.” I grinned. “Something better. Close your eyes and I’ll show you.”

Dale dutifully closed his eyes and I helped him to his feet, leading him back to John’s room. I sat him down on the bed and closed the door.

“Are you sure my Christmas gift is in here or is this just a ploy to get me into bed?”

I laughed, opening the closet door. “Are you ready?”

“I guess so.”

“Okay.” I pulled off the towels and clothes we had covered it with. “You can open your eyes.”

He did, eyes widening, jaw dropping. He sat there like that for a full ten seconds, stunned.

“I... you... wow!”

I laughed, clapping my hands. “You really like it?”

“Like it?” Dale stood and swung me into his arms. “You are the sweetest, most generous, most wonderful girl in the world. Thank you.” He hugged me close. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” I whispered against his neck. “Now you don’t have an excuse not to win the Battle of the Bands.”

“I can’t believe you did this. Amplifiers cost a small fortune. You must have spent your life savings,” he murmured into my hair, hugging me so close it was hard to breathe.

“Almost,” I agreed. “But you’re worth every penny.”

He kissed me then, taking my breath as always. I felt his heart beating fast against mine.

“Are you ready for yours?” he whispered near my ear.

“My what?” I was still dazed from his kiss.

“Come on.” He led me back into the living room. I sat on the floor while he dug around under the tree, pulling out a long black velvet box. My heart sank at the sight of it. He came to sit next to me.

“I know we talked about it and you said you weren’t ready to make a real commitment, because of college and Tyler Vincent and me trying to make it in the music business,” he started, holding my hand and the box in the other.

He paused and I looked at him.

Don’t do this, I pleaded silently and he smiled a little sheepishly.

“But—?” I said for him.

“I want you to know this isn’t like that. This is... this is to show you I understand... about your feelings for Tyler Vincent. And me.”

I took the box from him and hesitated before opening it, a little afraid. It creaked open and I gasped aloud, lifting the heart-shaped locket, holding it up on tented fingers. The gold shone in the light and a diamond sparkled in its top left corner.

“Oh, Dale,” I whispered, holding it in my palm.

“Open it,” he encouraged.

“There’s more?” I lifted the tiny latch and opened the heart. On the left side was a picture of Dale, looking a little younger but much the same. On the right side was a picture of Tyler Vincent. I felt tears well and couldn’t keep them from falling.

“Hey, don’t cry. Don’t you like it?” he asked, concerned, touching my cheek.

I hugged him hard and fast, surprising him.

“It’s lovely,” I whispered against his shirt. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you.”

“You deserve a great deal more than this, beautiful, and I intend to give it to you.” He clutched me tightly.

“Will you put it on me?” I pulled away to hand the locket to him and lifted my hair. He put it around my neck and took a moment to do the clasp. I felt his breath touch the tiny hairs on the nape of my neck. I let my hair fall and turned to look at him.

“Dale.” I said his name quietly, running my hand along his jaw. “Thank you. For this. For understanding. For everything.”

“Do I have to say you’re welcome? You’re always welcome.” He opened his arms and I went to him, snuggling in close, closer.

“We need some mistletoe,” I murmured.

“What for?” His eyes were closed.

“So you’d have an excuse to kiss me.”

He smiled, flashing that sweet dimple and looking at me. “I don’t need an excuse.”