“I don’t know,” I said, “but I’m willing to try.”

“Yeah, whatever. You only want an orgasm.”

“Actually, yes, I’d take one of those too. You’re the best I ever had.”

I could feel his surprise as he froze. A second later, he said, “Fine.”

As he leapt off the bed, I sat up, confused. “What? Where’re you going?”

“I’m turning on the light. If I’m going to fuck you, I want to see how much you’ve grown up.”

The light flipped on and I blinked against the sudden brightness until my eyes adjusted. Knox remained at the doorway, watching me.

“Take off your clothes,” he said.

Heat zapped through me at Knox’s command, the muscles deep in my stomach clenching hard as moisture welled between my legs.

He was going to attempt it. He was going to try sex with me without any emotion, like some kind of stranger.

My body surged with pleasure at the challenge because I felt confident I would win this round.

Game on, handsome.

But either way, I couldn’t lose, because this was going to feel really good.

Grasping the edge of my shirt, I kept eye contact as I slowly peeled it up and off, over my head. His brown eyes glittered with a primal kind of arousal.

He was going to fuck me. Hard.

God, I almost came just anticipating it.

When I started to undo my pants, his own hand went to his zipper. We watched each other undress, him standing by the light switch, me kneeling on the bed. Once he was naked and I was naked, he said, “Now lie back and open your legs.”

I did, and I’d never felt so exposed before, probably because I wasn’t just baring my body to him, but my soul as well. I was his completely for the taking.

He stalked toward the bed, a predatory gleam on his face. “Wider,” he ordered.

Gulping, I split my legs open as wide as I could get them to go.

“Touch yourself.”

With a whimper, I followed his command, slipping my hand down my body until my fingers were on my clit, slipping over wet, sensitive muscles that made me jump and my nipples harden.

As he watched me work myself, he took his cock into his hand and knelt on the bed between my spread thighs.

“I’m on the pill,” I said. I don’t know why I blurted that. Maybe because I wanted to feel him bare inside me, give him something new I’d never given any man.

He nodded. “I know. I’ve seen them in the medicine cabinet next to my razor.”

“And you...” I bit my lip, dreading the answer. “You haven’t been with anyone since you got out?”

He shook his head. “There’s only ever been you.”

Shivering and so turned on I feared I may come before he entered me, I blew out a breath and lowered my attention to a droplet of precum beading out the end of his cock. God, I couldn’t wait.

“Then I guess there’s really no need for a condom,” I said.

“I guess not.” He glanced up at me again, his eyes glittering as if ready for me to change my mind. But I only smiled.

“I am so eager to feel you inside me again.”

Uncertainty flittered across his face. He wasn’t sure if he could hold his emotions at bay. But he was going to try. After his throat worked through a particularly difficult swallow, he set a hand on the mattress next to my face to brace himself; then, still holding himself by the base, he lined up the head of his cock with my opening.

He was going to touch me as little as possible, I realized. He thought that would help him win. But I didn’t care, this was still the hottest experience of my life, and I knew something he didn’t. It wasn’t possible to keep our hearts out of anything we did together. They’d been united six years ago at our trouble tree.

I swear he didn’t breathe as he looked at the place we were about to join. I could almost read every thought in his head: should he slam into me, prove he had no care for my feelings, or go slow and torture me by resisting and withdrawing before I could come?

I guess he wanted it slow and maddening, because after he barely pushed forward, just fitting the crown into me, he stopped. We both sucked in a breath.

“Oh God,” I moaned, my inner muscles already contracting around the head of him. Needing more, I squirmed and grabbed my breasts, squeezing my own nipples.

“Fuck,” he grunted and shoved the rest of the way in.

The mere stretch of his invasion made me come. Hard.

I lit up, gasping and writhing. It felt so good to be filled with Knox, I rode the high, milking his thick girth until I was left wrung out and deflated.