She wanted to feel the hairs on his chest against her own nipples so she slid her arms around his neck and pressed closer, her body drifting side to side, feeling the friction. It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. But not enough. But he took care of that, too, grabbing at her butt and pulling her higher until she wound her legs around his waist and felt him pulsing against her. Ripping her mouth away, she looked into his eyes, panted his name. "Steven."

"Which room?" he asked hoarsely, settling her legs around his waist.

"Back one on the left. Steven," she said as he took the hallway back to her room at a near jog.

"What?" he said, sounding slightly out of breath.

"I bought condoms." Her cheeks were red, but she didn't care. "A whole box."

"Good," he muttered and pushed open her bedroom door. Taking the three steps to the foot of her bed, he dropped her so that she lay sprawled before him. "I only brought one."

"So we'll do this more than once?" she asked, meaning to tease, but hearing the question come out as sexy foreplay.

Roughly he pulled at the snap on her jeans and in three seconds had her stripped to the skin. His eyes started at her face and explored every inch of her body, while the muscle in his cheek jerked and spasmed and she felt more erotic than she'd ever felt in her whole life.

"God, yes. As many times as you'll let me." His eyes returned to her face and she felt another rush of moist warm heat between her legs. "I dreamed of your silk stockings and garters," he said softly, his voice smoky with desire. "Next time I want you to wear those for me. Only those." Blindly, he pulled at his belt, dropping his pants, kicking off his shoes. The boxers went next leaving him naked before her eyes. His erection jerked and she could see how engorged it was. He was ready. For her.

Blindly she reached for the box of condoms in her nightstand, wishing too late that she'd taken off the plastic wrap. As she struggled with the box, Steven slid between her legs, sliding his body up along hers, then leaned forward, bracing one hand on either side of her head. And kissed her. Hotly, erotically, his tongue plunging in and out of her mouth in a prelude of what was to come. She ripped at the box and the plastic and cardboard came apart at once, sending a shower of condoms across the bed. She picked up one and tore the foil.

"Here," she said raggedly against his lips and unbelievably she felt him smile.

"Now?" He leaned back on one elbow and ran his hand down her body, over her breast, her stomach, his fingertips teasing against the juncture between her legs and she lurched up, a shiver making her hot and cold all at once. "What about foreplay?" He slid one finger up into her and she wanted to scream. Because she was close, so close. And because she wanted him inside her when she came, but her body moved against his hand of its own volition. She groaned and he shuddered.

"Now," she demanded, feeling the throbbing in her body, in her head. Everywhere. "Now. "

Sobering, he raised up on his knees, looming over her, and she watched him slide the condom down his length. Slowly. Down his very long length.

"Steven!"

Then slowly he aligned his body with hers and whispered, "Now," and plunged, entering her fully in one stroke. She cried out and he groaned her name and then he was moving, in and out, harder and harder. She lifted her knees to bring him deeper, feeling her body tighten and climb higher and higher, rocking against him until she couldn't bear it another minute longer. Until she arched and came apart, flying, truly flying, his name on her lips even though her throat didn't make a sound. Gasping, trembling, she fell back against the bed, her eyes focusing on his face tight with unspent passion, on his eyes, filled with a myriad of emotions. She trailed her fingertips down his back, the only movement she had strength enough to do. With a feral growl he followed her path into oblivion, his body straining, his muscles quivering, his face a thing of beauty in his release.

He collapsed against her, shuddering as he buried his face in the pillow. She held him, stroked his hair while his finely honed body jerked from the aftershocks. She'd heard it called afterglow, but after such an earth-shattering experience, aftershock seemed a more appropriate term. Finally he lifted his head and kissed her, making them both shiver anew.

"You came," he murmured, as if unsure she would, and even after everything they'd just done together, Jenna found she could still blush.

"I did," she returned, unsure if she ever really had before. Certainly not quite like she had tonight. And if her first real orgasm was on the night of the second anniversary of Adam's death… She pushed the thought to the very back of her mind, resolving to deal with the guilt later.

He moved his lips down her neck and she stretched to one side to give him better access. "I'm glad," he murmured against her skin and she smiled.

"Me, too."

He lifted his head and kissed the side of her smiling mouth. "How do you feel about seconds?"

She ran her hands down his back, cupping the very taut cheeks of his ass. He had an incredible body. "I don't know," she said and almost laughed at the disappointment in his eyes.

"Okay," he said although it was clear it was anything but.

"It's just that I don't know where we'll find any more… you know… protection."

His eyes gleamed and he reached out and grabbed a handful of foil packets and dumped them on her head. "I think we've got that covered, Jenna."

"Then yes, please. Seconds would be very nice. But I suppose we have to leave room for dessert. You owe me after all."

His brows snapped together. "How so?"

"You left my Rocky Road to melt all over the table."

His eyes crinkled at the edges. "I'll buy you another pint."

"Make it a gallon and we'll talk thirds and fourths."

"Jenna, are we talking about ice cream?"

She smiled up at him. "We're talking about anything you want."

Sunday, October 9, 6:30 A.M.

They snuck into Steven's house through the laundry room, holding hands like teenagers late for curfew. After the night they'd shared it was small wonder either of them could still walk. They'd made love twice more in the night, dozing until four a.m. or so. They planned to shower and get back to Steven's house so Jenna could get Jim and Casey's truck and be gone long before sunup.

Jenna squinted in the semidarkness. The sun had just started to come up. They were arriving home later than they'd planned, through no fault of her own. Steven had instigated the delay in the shower. She grinned to herself. She just helped. A lot. Her body still tingled from all the helping. She'd helped all night long. Altruism certainly had its benefits.

"What are you grinning at?" Steven murmured, looking down at her with a tender smile that made her heart do crazy things in her chest.

She lifted a brow and said nothing, which made him grin, too. "You're a pervert, Dr. Marshall."

She gave him her prim look. "And this is a problem how?"

He laughed softly. "Who said anything about a problem? Come on, let's find your dog and get you guys out of here before one of the boys discovers us. Or even worse, Helen."

"You're already trying to get rid of me," she grumbled playfully, following him through the door into the kitchen where she abruptly ran into his back. Because he'd abruptly stopped. Jenna peeked around his shoulder and immediately saw why.