We all wave as the car pulls away until the Just Married scrawled on the back is barely visible.

I wait patiently as everyone else goes back inside until I can get over to where Seven is standing alone. When she sees me, she breaks out into a huge grin and then practically jumps into my arms.

“Luke, there you are. I was looking all over for you. That was such a romantic wedding, wasn’t it?”

She lets out a wistful sigh and drops her head on my shoulder. One of her legs is wrapped around my waist and she’s almost climbing me. I can smell the sweet scent of the champagne she’s been drinking on her breath. Just then she adjusts herself in my arms, rubbing right up against my groin. I get hard immediately.

“Had a few drinks, huh?” I shift around, trying to set her down gently but since her arms are locked around my neck, she ends up swaying against me. Basically lying on me while standing.

“Yeah. Usually I don’t drink much but Sasha insisted that we have champagne to toast with and I had to take Emma’s because she’s pregnant. Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t but that explains quite a bit about today.”

I lead her down the walkway to the parking lot. She’s leaning against me with no abandon, her hand traveling under my jacket to rub up and down my back. This is my punishment for some crime in a former life, I think as one of her hands drops below my belt. Seven giggles when I jump, trying to keep her from discovering just how much my body is enjoying her champagne-fueled explorations. My sudden jerk seems to amuse her though because she lets out a happy little sigh and hooks her fingers in the waistband of my trousers.

“And then Josie wanted to get a picture of us with full champagne glasses so Emma gave me another one. Then Rissa insisted that I try the wine because it was her favorite. So before I knew it, I’d had at least three drinks. Your sisters-in-law are kind of pushy.”

“Tell me about it.”

By the time we get to my car, she’s running her hands over my chest and rubbing her nose against my neck.

“Emma chose these boutonnieres because of the smell. Did you know that? She told me all about it. Everyone was so nice to me.”

“I’m glad you had fun.” I manage to juggle my keys out of my pocket and open the door.

“They all love each other. And they adore you.” She peeks up at me, her face half hidden by her hair. “I adore you, too.”

“Oh sweetheart, you are really killing me here.”

I manage to get her in the car without incident but on the way home, she slides as close as she can get with her seatbelt on, resting her hand on my thigh. My hands tighten around the steering wheel and I have to check my natural impulse to drive faster.

By the time we arrive, she’s nodded off.

I come around to her side of the car and scoop her into my arms. Her eyes open but she doesn’t say anything. After how chatty she was earlier, she suddenly seems bashful again. I put her down briefly to open the door to my apartment but then pick her up again. There’s no reason for me to do it. I’m just enjoying the excuse to have her this close.

I take her into my room and set her gently on the bed. Her eyes stay on mine, wide and waiting, as I pull down the zipper on the back of her dress. It’s amazing how much louder a small sound like that seems in a dark room.  She lifts up briefly and pushes the dress down to pool on the floor at her feet.

I pull her closer and kiss her gently on the forehead. “Good night, baby.”

When I get up to leave, her arms lock around my neck almost strangling me. “Wait, where are you going to sleep?”

“I was going to take the futon,” I stammer.

Without the barrier of her dress, her bra seems even sheerer than the last time I saw it. If I’m going to go, I need to leave now before I don’t have enough blood left in my brain to make decisions. But before I can move, she swings a leg over my lap so she’s straddling me.

“Don’t do that. I want you to stay here. With me.” Her hands tunnel through my hair and then her mouth is on mine.

“Sev, I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for.”

Moaning, she pulls back. “I’m not drunk, Luke. I’m a little tipsy, sure. But that’s a good thing because otherwise I’d be too shy to do what I’ve been wanting to do all day.”

She reaches behind her and unhooks her bra. It falls to the floor beside the bed. I watch it fall, feeling like it’s taking my willpower with it.

When I look back at Seven, she looks so vulnerable. Almost like she’s afraid that I won’t like what I’m seeing. That fear in her eyes triggers every protective instinct I have. Nothing is more important than making sure she knows how beautiful she is to me and how honored I am to be with her right now.

“You’re so beautiful. I’m almost scared to touch you.”

She takes my hand and leads me to her breast. At the first brush of my hand against her nipple, she shudders and bites her lip.

“This is what I wanted you to do earlier today. I wanted you to touch me here. And here.” She pulls my hand further down until I cup her through the sheer thong.

At the first touch, she cries out and bucks her hips. Seeing her so untamed snaps the last thread of my control. I hold her still, not allowing her to squirm away from the pleasure.

“Uh uh. Stay right there.”

“Luke.” My name comes out as a plea.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it? You’ve been tormenting me all night with the memory of these.” I take one of her tight little nipples in my mouth.

She pants as I suck it, hard. When I finally let it go with a little pop, it’s dark red and so hard it could probably cut glass.

“Yes,” she moans as my finger slides beneath her thong again.

“I can’t get the image of this out of my head. Did you shave just to taunt me? Did you plan for me to see this so I’d be thinking about it all day?” My voice has deepened to a growl that I barely recognize.

“No. I didn’t know…” She shudders above me as I pet the delicate skin, painting her moisture all over until one finger slides deep with ease. “Oh, that feels good.”

I slide an arm up under her hair and hold her still. Finally, I have her where I want her and can do everything I’ve imagined. I don’t plan on letting her go for hours.

With my other hand, I yank off my tie, then start working on the buttons on my shirt. Seven covers my hand with hers and unbuttons it the rest of the way. She pushes it and my jacket off my arms. When I settle us back on the bed, our skin meets for the first time and we both moan at the contact. She hooks her feet into the waistband of my pants and works them and my boxers over my hips. We’re both smiling by the time they hit my ankles.

“Nice trick.”

She raises her eyebrows. “They’re in my way.”

“We can’t have that.” I pull her legs around my hips and her back arches as I press against her again, this time with significantly less fabric between us.

My lips follow the line of her throat. Her hands grasp my hair, so tight it hurts, but the bite of pain is arousing. Her skin is slightly salty and I love the taste as I nip my way down to the gentle swell of her belly. She gasps again when I grab the edge of her thong with my teeth.

“This definitely needs to go.”

Her soft sigh as I pull it down ramps my arousal higher. Hesitant to move too fast and shock her out of the moment, I trace her opening with my tongue, teasing her clit with little flicks. She shudders beneath me and when I look up, I’m shocked to see her eyes open, watching me. Her lids are heavy with desire and her bottom lip is clenched between her teeth.

While she watches, I brush my thumb up and down, teasing her little clit before pushing inside her gently.

Her mouth falls open and she cries out helplessly. The sound pushes me over the edge. I lean down, licking into her forcefully, letting her ride my tongue. Dimly, I’m aware of her cries and the flex of her fingers on my shoulders as she comes but I’m too far gone for finesse. I can’t slow down when every instinct pushes me to tease her. Taste her.