said shyly.
“Where?” His voice was hoarse and rough.
She held his eyes with hers and tilted
her hips against his erection. “Here.”
With a fierce groan, Michael buried his
face in her fragrant hair. “Come home with me. Now.”
“It's too soon. We can't.”
“I've never wanted anyone the way I want
you. I haven't slept since I met you, Paige. You're all I think about. I can't
study. I can't work. I can't do anything but want you.” He steered her into an
alley between two colonial houses and pressed her against one of them to kiss
her again, leaving her with no doubt as to how much he wanted her. “Please,” he
said, kissing her neck. “Come home with me. Let me make love to you.”
“Yes,” she panted, clinging to him. “Yes,
take me home with you, Michael.”
He kissed her again and took her hand to
run back to his car at her parents' house. They were breathless by the time
they got there, and he waited with impatience while she hurried in to tell her
mother they were going for a drive. When she got in the car, he broke speed
records driving to Georgetown. In the elevator, he was almost afraid to touch
her on the way to his sixth-floor apartment.
But once the door closed behind them,
they were both hit with nerves they hadn't expected.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, I'm fine.”
She startled when he came up behind her.
“Relax, honey. I was just going to take your coat.”
“I'm sorry.” She shrugged off her coat. “I
like your place.”
“Thanks.”
“You're a neat-nik.”
He shrugged. “I guess. Law school keeps
me disci-plined. I'm afraid if I let things slide, it'll snowball on me.”
She picked up one of the textbooks on
his desk. “Is it as hard as they say it is?”
“Harder.”
The word hung in the air between them.
She put the book down and turned to him.
“Come here,” he said. When her cheeks
flushed with color, any doubt he had that he'd fallen in love with her faded
away as she took the first tentative step toward him.
He met her halfway, put his arms around
her, and held her tight against him.
She turned her face up, and their mouths
met in a hot and hungry frenzy.
Michael trembled at the feel of her
hands on his back under his sweater. When he couldn't bear the pain of wanting
her another minute, he swept her up into his arms to carry her to his bedroom.
But as he brought her down onto the bed, something flashed through her eyes
that stopped him cold.
He caressed her face. “Paige? What is
it? Are you afraid?”
“A little.”
“Of me?”
“No,” she whispered. “Then what?”
“This. All of it.”
“Why?”
She looked away from him, and his
stomach knotted with understanding. With a finger to her chin, he brought her
back to him. “Is this your first time?”
Again her cheeks flushed with color as
she nodded.
“Oh.” He fell onto his back when all the
oxygen seemed to leave his body in one big rush. “Oh God, and I've been like a
lunatic with you. Jesus.”
“You haven't. Don't say that, Michael.”
Seeing that she was on the verge of
tears, he turned onto his side and put an arm around her.
“I'm sorry. I didn't realize. The way
you kiss me—”
She ran a finger over his lips. “I've
never kissed anyone quite the way I kiss you. It's like I'm someone else with
you.”
And there it was again, the dizzying
rush of lust that obliterated every rational thought in his mind.
“How come you've never done this before?
Surely you've had boyfriends. Lots of them.”
She shrugged. “I've never loved any of
them.”
With his heart in his throat, he asked, “And
do you love me?”
“Yes.” Her eyes full of wonder, she
reached up to caress his face. “I really do.”
“I can't believe it, but I love you,
too. And I want you so much.” He kissed each of her fingers. “But not until
you're ready. I don't want you to be afraid.”
“I'm ready, Michael. I want it to be
with you. Now.”
“You're sure?” His heart pounded
“Where?” His voice was hoarse and rough.
She held his eyes with hers and tilted
her hips against his erection. “Here.”
With a fierce groan, Michael buried his
face in her fragrant hair. “Come home with me. Now.”
“It's too soon. We can't.”
“I've never wanted anyone the way I want
you. I haven't slept since I met you, Paige. You're all I think about. I can't
study. I can't work. I can't do anything but want you.” He steered her into an
alley between two colonial houses and pressed her against one of them to kiss
her again, leaving her with no doubt as to how much he wanted her. “Please,” he
said, kissing her neck. “Come home with me. Let me make love to you.”
“Yes,” she panted, clinging to him. “Yes,
take me home with you, Michael.”
He kissed her again and took her hand to
run back to his car at her parents' house. They were breathless by the time
they got there, and he waited with impatience while she hurried in to tell her
mother they were going for a drive. When she got in the car, he broke speed
records driving to Georgetown. In the elevator, he was almost afraid to touch
her on the way to his sixth-floor apartment.
But once the door closed behind them,
they were both hit with nerves they hadn't expected.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, I'm fine.”
She startled when he came up behind her.
“Relax, honey. I was just going to take your coat.”
“I'm sorry.” She shrugged off her coat. “I
like your place.”
“Thanks.”
“You're a neat-nik.”
He shrugged. “I guess. Law school keeps
me disci-plined. I'm afraid if I let things slide, it'll snowball on me.”
She picked up one of the textbooks on
his desk. “Is it as hard as they say it is?”
“Harder.”
The word hung in the air between them.
She put the book down and turned to him.
“Come here,” he said. When her cheeks
flushed with color, any doubt he had that he'd fallen in love with her faded
away as she took the first tentative step toward him.
He met her halfway, put his arms around
her, and held her tight against him.
She turned her face up, and their mouths
met in a hot and hungry frenzy.
Michael trembled at the feel of her
hands on his back under his sweater. When he couldn't bear the pain of wanting
her another minute, he swept her up into his arms to carry her to his bedroom.
But as he brought her down onto the bed, something flashed through her eyes
that stopped him cold.
He caressed her face. “Paige? What is
it? Are you afraid?”
“A little.”
“Of me?”
“No,” she whispered. “Then what?”
“This. All of it.”
“Why?”
She looked away from him, and his
stomach knotted with understanding. With a finger to her chin, he brought her
back to him. “Is this your first time?”
Again her cheeks flushed with color as
she nodded.
“Oh.” He fell onto his back when all the
oxygen seemed to leave his body in one big rush. “Oh God, and I've been like a
lunatic with you. Jesus.”
“You haven't. Don't say that, Michael.”
Seeing that she was on the verge of
tears, he turned onto his side and put an arm around her.
“I'm sorry. I didn't realize. The way
you kiss me—”
She ran a finger over his lips. “I've
never kissed anyone quite the way I kiss you. It's like I'm someone else with
you.”
And there it was again, the dizzying
rush of lust that obliterated every rational thought in his mind.
“How come you've never done this before?
Surely you've had boyfriends. Lots of them.”
She shrugged. “I've never loved any of
them.”
With his heart in his throat, he asked, “And
do you love me?”
“Yes.” Her eyes full of wonder, she
reached up to caress his face. “I really do.”
“I can't believe it, but I love you,
too. And I want you so much.” He kissed each of her fingers. “But not until
you're ready. I don't want you to be afraid.”
“I'm ready, Michael. I want it to be
with you. Now.”
“You're sure?” His heart pounded