“Daren. Daren. Come on,” I say, completely out of breath.

He gently kisses my clit, just a peck, his lips brushing the place I need him to but not quite satisfying my hunger. His tongue slips out of his mouth as he exhales hotly against me. Then he licks me once, a long, slow stroke of his soft wet tongue as it rolls over my clit and I whimper, tossing my head back because I want more.

I grip his hair, trying to push his mouth lower to my aching body, and feel him smile against my needy flesh.

I’m just about to beg and moan, when he thrusts my thighs even farther apart and licks at my core, rolling his tongue over my clit again and gain. I cry out and clutch his hair, holding his mouth against me as my body splays out on the bed and my legs begin to tremble more violently.

He starts to lap at my folds, driving me wild and making me blind with desire until I feel myself about to fall to pieces. Gasping, begging, whimpering, I pant as his sweet tongue sucks and licks at my tiny clit relentlessly.

Unlike anything I’ve experienced before, I’m not afraid to want this, not afraid to enjoy it. For the first time in my life, I’m able to embrace pleasure and let it move through me, setting wild pieces of my soul free.

He groans against my sensitive flesh and licks at me more ferociously until a blinding orgasm rips through me and my entire body begins to quiver and jerk. Gripping two fistfuls of the sheets in my hands I cry out with his head still between my legs.

Now a wet quivering mess, I can’t do anything other than beg him to push himself inside me. Which is exactly what I’m doing. Begging in short, clipped sentences.

“Daren. Now. Please. Oh God.”

I hear the smile in his voice. “Hold on.”

“No. Now. Come on.” I look down to see him putting a condom on and, once it’s in place, I try to pull him into me.

He waits. With his thick penis set between my legs but not yet inside me, he waits.

“Are you trying to kill me?” I whine.

“No,” he says with a smile. “I’m trying to savor this.” Then he slowly eases into me and my aching body tightens around him. I hold on to his shoulders and feel him deep inside of me, but just briefly before he eases back out.

I pull at his body again and this time he gives in, sliding into me and filling me completely. I cry out again.

This is the best thing I’ve ever felt. Pure ecstasy. Not just the sensation of his hard body, stretching out my soft, tight one, but the feeling of Daren inside me, connected to me.

He starts to pump in and out of me, my aching core gripping at his hard length as hot skin rubs against the greedy nerves inside me, and I sink my nails into his back, holding on for dear life.

I was wrong. This is the best thing I’ve ever felt. The hot friction of his thick body rubbing against my soft wet core and easing the pulsing ache inside is almost more than I can stand.

I watch him in the pale moonlight, his square jaw tightened, the corded muscles of his neck pulling taught, and my desire to please him ignites even more. I grab his hips and hold him inside me so we’re locked together and he can’t withdraw, then I say, “I want to be on top.”

He blinks down at me and grins. “Yeah?”

I nod. “I’ve never been on top before.”

“Really?” His grin widens. “Holy hell. This is going to be fun. You’re going to like it. Trust me.”

In one swift movement, he rolls us over so I’m straddling his hips while his erection still fills my core, and in this new position, he feels deeper. Fuller.

“Oh wow,” I whisper, shifting over him slightly. The movement sends a dart of pleasure up my spine and my eyes flutter back. “Oh God.”

He smiles up at me. “Told you.” His smile melts into a look of hunger as he watches me move, however, and a low, appreciate curse word leaves his mouth.

I rock against him, slowly at first then gain momentum as I get used to the feel of our entwined bodies, until suddenly I’m on fire. I’m sexy and beautiful. I’m powerful and strong. The moonlight shines down on my nude body as I ride Daren and his eyes watch my bouncing breasts, swollen with passion, with great appreciation. I love that he can see me, my nakedness, my desire for him.

I rub against him more fervently and another orgasm tears through me, lighting every inch of my skin on fire as I fall apart on top of him. Daren pulls me down to meet his mouth and kisses me as he rolls us over once again.

With my body a wet, spent mess of quivers and spasms, I’m not sure if I can handle more of Daren inside me. But as he, once again, pumps into me I only feel more bliss run through me. Who knew sex could bring so much pleasure? So much love? So much… everything?

I give my body over to Daren completely, arching my hips and tossing my head back as I claw at his large shoulders, taking him into me, begging for more. We rock against each other in the soft glow of the moon, me whimpering for more and him groaning in pleasure, until our bodies both climax and every muscle in his body grows rigid. We collide with each other, breathless, sweating.

There are no handcuffs binding us, but we’re connected just the same. Not by steel but by love. Visible love. Valuable love. A love that sees me just as much as I see him. And I’ve never felt so beautiful.

42 Daren

I’ve never woken up with a girl by my side before—at least not one I’ve had sex with. I’ve had a crazy night filled with sex before, sure. But I never stayed afterward and cuddled. Or woke up the next day to chitchat.

But this morning, when I opened my eyes and saw Kayla’s small face and naked shoulder nuzzled against my chest, I couldn’t imagine waking up any other way. The smell of coconut wraps around me and I can’t help but smile.

I trail my eyes along the soft lines of her face and wonder just what the hell I’m going to do now.

Kayla isn’t like any girl I’ve ever known. And sleeping with her isn’t the same as having sex with anyone else. She’s the real deal. And it doesn’t even freak me out that I’m thinking these things.

She knows me, the ugly parts and the hard parts, the shameful pieces and the broken ones, she knows all of me and she still cares for me. I’m dirt-poor and homeless, for God’s sake, and the girl still told me she loves me.

Now the only question is, how can I convince her to stay in my life?

She stirs beside me and her lashes flutter before opening. Her blues eyes stare up at me in the hazy light coming in from my window. They widen and I tense, waiting for her to remember last night, and worried that maybe she’ll think it was a huge mistake.

But her features melt into a soft smile and she settles closer to me, burying her face into my neck.

“Good morning,” she says against my skin.

Happiness fills my chest. I run my fingers down her bare arms and grin when tiny goose bumps rise. “Good morning, beautiful.”

Under the sheets, she moves her silky body over mine and snuggles even closer. “You’re so warm.”

God, I love this. I want to wake up with this girl in my arms every single day—is that crazy?

I wrap my arms around her and tuck her into me. “And you’re so soft. I could get used to this.”

I hear the smile in her voice. “Me too.”

“I’m serious,” I say. “I want this. I want you. No one else.”

She props her chin on my chest and looks at me with big blue morning eyes. “I’m right here.”

I swallow. “Yeah, but I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want to go back to being who I was before the handcuffs. Kayla. I was unhappy before you. And now I’m… I’m perfect.”

She shifts closer and looks directly into to my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. Before you, I was lost. And now I’m… home.” She kisses my chin. “So I’m staying right by your side, with or without handcuffs.”