He frowned. “You’re worrying about that?”

“Well, yeah, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “but because I’m the experienced one and I want to make it as perfect as it can be. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Jake, I do,” I insisted. “I’m just as concerned about making this perfect for you. You’ve been with girls who know what they’re doing—”

“I’ll stop you right there,” he cut me off, tugging on my hand so I had no choice but to fall forward against him. Jake cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking my skin as he pulled me into his dark gaze. “Everything we’ve done up to now is the best I’ve ever had. It’s the best because it’s with you and we’re great together. This will be no different.”

“Seriously, did you grow up on another planet or something where immature adolescent males are forbidden?”

He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t want to f**k this up by being an immature dick. And believe me, I have plenty of experience in that department too.”

“Okay,” I rolled my eyes, gently pulling back from him. “Let’s get out of here before you say something to change my mind.”

Jake’s house was silent, thick with it, in fact, as if it was breathless with anticipation right along with me. We hadn’t said a word in the truck as we drove to his place, both of us preoccupied with what lay ahead, nerves and sexual tension making the atmosphere potent enough to kill conversation.

Jake locked the front door behind us and helped me take off my coat and scarf. I watched silently as he removed his own. Taking my hand, he felt it tremble and gave me a sharp look. I squeezed his hand and reassured him once more with my eyes.

I followed him up the stairs, my breath coming harder and faster now. As soon as we entered his bedroom, Jake reached over for a piece of paper on his desk and then handed it to me.

Eyebrows drawn together, I unfolded it and blinked rapidly when I realized what it was. “You got tested?” I whispered.

He nodded solemnly. “I wanted you to know that I’m clean. You deserve not to have to worry about that.”

Swallowing hard, I folded the paper back over. “How many girls have you been with?”

“Enough to know ‘the one’ when I find her.” Jake pulled me against him, his arms strong around my waist. “My friends back in Chicago think I’m crazy when I talk about you. They keep telling me that I’m too young to feel this way. I’m not too young, Charley. I know with more certainty than I’ve ever had about anything in my life that you’re my future. I know that when we’re ready, after college or whatever, we’re going to get married and that you’re going to be the mother of my kids. I know that deep in my gut.”

Overwhelmed by his heartfelt confession, by his surety in me, and honestly by the restless sexual chemistry between us, I found myself close to tears. I hit his chest gently. “You’re going to make me cry. You know I don’t like that.”

He chuckled and cuddled me closer, his chin resting on my hair. “It’s the good kind of tears, though, right?”

I nodded, nuzzling my face into his throat. “I love you so much. I don’t care if people think we’re crazy.”

“I love you too,” he murmured, stroking my back.

Pretty quickly his soothing caress became something else and I pressed my lips to his throat. Jake groaned, tilting his head back a little as I kissed my way up to his jaw. I didn’t get a chance to reach for his mouth because Jake was already reaching for mine.

His kiss was soft, coaxing, his tongue gently teasing mine. As I melted into it, I slipped my hand under his shirt, forcing the fabric up as I explored his abs. Taking my hint, Jake broke the kiss to pull off his shirt and I did the same with my sweater. Goosebumps awoke all over me.

It was going to happen for us.

Yes.

I grinned at him and he smiled back, his warm hands coasting lightly around my waist as he pulled me back to him. We started kissing again, this time our lips pressing harder, our tongues sliding deeper, and the goosebumps disappeared in a flush of fire. Deftly, Jake took off my bra and still kissing, we fumbled with one another’s pants.

Laughing and stroking and kissing, we eventually ended up on his bed naked, his body braced above mine. When he slid a hand between my legs, the laughter disappeared and our breathing grew stilted. I lifted my hips, widening my legs, welcoming his touch and groaning with sheer pleasure when he slipped two fingers inside me.

He’d done this before, playing me to the point of explosion.

This time he pressed deeper and I flinched at the uncomfortable pressure.

Jake pulled back, his muscles straining. “It’ll hurt the first time, but I’ll try to make it as good as I can for you.”

“I know.” I wound my arms around his shoulders. “I trust you.”

He kissed me, lowering his hips against me so I could feel his hot erection pulsing at my core. I thought for a minute we were going straight into it and I tensed, bracing myself, but Jake left my mouth to follow an invisible trail down my body with his lips. He kissed every inch of me, sucking on my ni**les until they were distended and tender, kissing between my legs, his tongue laving at my clit until I came. And then he started all over again—his thumb on my swollen clit, his fingers pushing inside of me.

“Jake,” I moaned, my nails biting into his back. “I can’t …” I felt shattered, like I was only held together by the tiniest cracks of light and if Jake pushed me one more time, I was going to break into a million pieces. My body wanted that but I didn’t know if I could take any more.

“I can’t wait any longer,” he breathed harshly and I nodded, silently asking him to do it, to move inside me and end the torture he’d started. He leaned over the bed and opened the drawer of his bedside table. He removed the small foil condom package and ripped it open with his teeth. With a proficiency I pretended not to notice, Jake rolled the condom on.

I felt his hands depress the mattress on either side of my head, his chest lifting up off my body. He nudged my knee with his and I opened my legs wider at his silent request.

I looked up into his eyes.

He stared back at me, his cheeks flushed, his eyes dark with a mixture of tenderness and love. “You ready?”