“Make love,” I repeat smiling, noting how much better that sounds than sex or screwing. “Yeah, that sounds perfect to me.”

I study her, noting a subtle shift with everything about her. Layers are peeling back like pages fluttering in the wind. Her heart is opening; I just know it.

“I’ve never felt this way before, Nathan.” She says softly, as she starts to crawl over me.

“Never?” I ask, my heart soaring.

“No….so this is just you, and me, and this feeling. Let’s go slow. I want to feel everything,” she whispers in my ear before feathering kisses down my neck. She lifts herself up and straddles my hips right over where I’m already aroused for her. “Yes,” she whispers as she slowly rocks, her gaze tender yet hungry. “You want me.”

“I always want you, Brooke…always.” I breathe her scent, and feel her heat as the warmth radiates through me.

Brooke, don’t you know how you’ve turned my world upside down?

I watch her slowly unbutton my shirt. She is ceremonious; as each button pulls apart she leans down and kisses the skin that’s revealed. My hands rest on her thighs, slowly stroking, every touch fanning the fire. When she finishes the bottom button, she spreads the shirt open and runs her hands over my chest.

“I love touching you. I love how strong you are,” she says softly as she pushes the shirt off my shoulders. I can feel my neck and chest flush from the way she’s admiring me.

“Can we take off your shirt?” I ask. The way I’m lying under her, I need her help. “I want to see you too.”

As she starts to slowly lift it off, I run my hands up her sides. It’s better than sliding across silk because of the warmth and life just beneath my fingertips. She starts to lower one of her bra straps and I stop her.

“Slow,” I remind her. I pull her into my arms and kiss her slowly, letting my hands wander. “You’re so beautiful…so beautiful, and I can’t believe you’re here with me.”

“Well, where else would I be?” she teases as she steps off the bed, and pushes her jeans off. I watch her. Wearing only her very sheer bra and panties, she climbs back over me.

I’ve daydreamed this exact scene countless times. It’s my very own Victoria Secret catalog come to life—only Brooke’s body is much sexier than those women. I rest my hands on her soft hips, feeling so grateful that I’m the one she wants. “You know, I thought I’d lost you. I thought you had chosen to be with him. And now you’re here with me…and…well…I just can’t believe it.”

“Well then, I’m going to keep showing you how I feel until you believe everything.”

Her seductive smile really gets me going. I don’t know how much more of this slow stuff I can take.

I think Brooke’s aware I’m beyond excited. She smiles knowingly as she undoes my fly and starts to pull my jeans and my boxers down. Following the denim, she kisses another trail down my hips and thighs, only detouring to give my erection several long licks from base to tip. I shiver with pleasure.

“Brooke.” I moan as I watch her unhook her bra and pull until it falls away. My hands reach up to cup her breasts as we gaze at each other, having entire conversations with our eyes. It occurs to me that this is the least awkward I’ve ever felt. I just want to please her, to show her what we can be. Her nipples harden under my fingertips and the softest blush moves across her cheeks.

“Oh, Nathan, the way you look at me. What are you thinking?”

“That I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“And why is that?” She knows, but I sense that she needs to hear it tonight as I hold her.

“Because I found the girl I’m meant to be with,” I say with certainty. “A girl so amazing that I couldn’t have conjured her in my wildest dreams. But you’re here, and you’re real…and you want me.”

“Yes, I do,” she says smiling. Her warm hand grasps me firmly, with gliding movements, fluid and smooth. The visual of her hand gripping me, her full breasts, wet lips and dreamy eyes, is just too much.

And with that, I roll so I am on top of her, pressing down hard. We move together, grabbing, rubbing and kissing like teenagers making out for the first time. But then she pulls her luscious thighs apart and asks for more.

And I want more too. She’s taught me that one does not need to supplicate to truly express devotion. I pull off her panties and settle between her legs so I can taste her again. My cheek grazes her inner thigh as I move in closer to kneel at the sacred altar of Brooke and prepare to worship. My lips hold the memory of every touch that drove her wild. So my tongue moves over her softness, as her hips roll in response. Her hands twist in my hair, pulling me closer, and she whispers my name over and over and over again.

When she cries out I press my palms inside her knees and gently push her open that much more. As she gasps for breath, I press one final kiss over her and look up into her eyes.

“Beautiful,” I whisper, feeling even more confident.

“Nathan, please,” she motions for me, her arms reaching. “I need you inside of me… now.”

Her need is my sexual call to arms, and I’m ready. Every sensation sparks as I breathlessly move over her. My need to take her is primal and raw like I’m a caveman getting ready to claim his woman. “Do you belong to me now, Brooke?” I surprise myself by asking, gasping as I grind against her.

She nods, the corners of her eyes twist with mirth, but I sense she likes caveman Nathan. “I’m only yours,” she says with satisfaction. “No one else.” Her eyes are hooded. This is really turning me on.

“Mine,” I kind of growl, playing it up as I loom over her. I can tell this is turning her on too.

“Is that what you want?” she asks, pulling me closer.

“It’s what I’ve always wanted,” I assure her. Meanwhile my arousal has taken on a life of it’s own, probing for heat sensors, searching for the happy place of love. My mind twists as every science fiction proclamation passes through my conscious…stuff about the force being with me, boarding the mothership, and boldly going where I’ve never gone before. Making love is a science fiction-worthy, spiritual experience.

Brooke wants me.

Me.

With our eyes locked she takes me in her grasp and brings me to her. “I need this so much,” she gasps. “I need you, Nathan.”

A surge of pride and protectiveness moves through me. I want to take care of Brooke in every way. I want to give her what she needs.

I still for a moment and take her face in my hands.

“I need you too,” I admit without hesitation.

As I gaze at her I see tears pooling in the corners of her beautiful eyes. But they aren’t sad tears. I can tell.

“Nathan?”

“Yes?”

She pauses and takes a deep breath, as if she’s fighting to be brave.

Be brave, Brooke.

“I…”

I wait patiently, stroking her cheeks. I’m still anxious to be inside of her, but that can wait a moment. I sense this is very important.

“I love you,” she says gently, but with absolute certainty. She’s sweet and sincere, with adoration reflected in her eyes.

She really loves me. For me, loving her was a given. For Brooke, who had closed her heart long ago, this is big…really big.

“You love me,” I whisper. She may as well have waved her magic wand at me, and chanted “lumos” for how I’ve lit up inside. I gaze at her and realize that she’s lit up too.

Our kiss is tender and raw as I pull her tightly into my arms. It’s time. With laser focus I position and push, slowly sliding myself home as she opens herself to me. She is all warmth and wetness as she arches up, moaning loud. Every part of her that presses, or wraps around me is an embrace. Our hips are moving, the push and pull of our bodies together. We are electrified with the sheer emotion of our hearts connecting.

I don’t know if I was prepared for how those three words would overcome me.