With a chuckle, Jake pulled my hand from my eyes. “I assume it comes off just like the lingerie, right?”

“Yes.”

He winked at me. “Then stop worrying. I’ll just take it off.” Bringing his fingers to the clip, Jake then started unwrapping the bandage. I began to twist from side to side to help him get it off quicker. With a wicked grin, he said, “You know, this makes me think of that scene in the movie Shakespeare in Love where Will unbinds Viola’s breasts.”

I laughed. “The very fact you know that movie is very swoonworthy, Mr. Slater,” I teased.

“Hey, don’t be acting like I’m not a romantic. I was quoting Romeo and Juliet the first night we were together.”

I cocked my brows at him. “Right after I had to prove that you could get it up for a virgin.”

Jake winced. “I was such a douche to you.”

I leaned in and kissed him. “I’ve forgiven you for all your douche moments in the past.”

“Thanks, Angel,” Jake replied with a grin. Once he finished taking off my bandage, Jake’s expression darkened, and he sucked in a harsh breath. I knew he was surprised by how bruised I still was. Most of them had faded, but there was still a yellow and green discoloration all around my ribcage and abdomen.

I cupped his cheek and shook my head. “Please don’t do that. I promise you they don’t hurt.”

Dropping to his knees, Jake began feathering tender kisses along my ribs and across my stomach. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, his breath warming my already scorching skin.

I gripped the strands of his hair and gently pulled his head back to look at me. “Stop apologizing for something you couldn’t help. You’re not the one who did this to me, and I will never, ever blame you.”

He rested his cheek against my stomach. “I love you, Angel.”

“I love you, too, Jake.”

As his fingers grazed the waist band of my thong, he glanced up at me. I gave a short nod of my head before he tugged it down my thighs. We were both totally naked together for the first time ever, and I shivered with anticipation.

“Are you cold?”

“No, I just want you.”

A pained noise came from the back of Jake’s throat. He kissed my inner thighs before nudging my legs further apart. Staring up at me, he held my gaze as his tongue flicked out to lick across my folds. I sucked in a breath and let my head fall back against the shower wall as his warm tongue worked over me. He lapped and suckled at my clit to where I was rocking my hips against him. He took one of my feet and pulled it up to rest on his shoulder giving him better access. The moment he thrust his tongue inside me I came apart and cried out his name.

Once I came back to myself, I figured he would stand up, but instead, he remained on his knees. He pulled away momentarily to tease my opening with one finger before pushing it inside. He added two and then three to swirl and move within me. With his free hand, his fingers skimmed over my stomach before coming to cup one of my breasts.

I was on sensory overload as my nipple peaked under his attention. His hand then snaked over to the other breast to bring it to a hardened nub as well. All the while he kept plunging his fingers in and out of me while his thumb made my clit feel like it was going to explode.

Gripping the strands of his hair, I cried out his name over and over again as I came. If it were possible, I think I had experienced an even stronger orgasm that time. When I gazed down at Jake with hooded eyes, he frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Baby, you’re so tight. I’m worried about hurting you.”

“I’ll be fine,” I panted.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, dammit, now take me to bed and make love to me!” I demanded.

Jake chuckled. “Boy, you get bossy when you come, don’t you?”

“Please?”

“Well, I never actually took a shower.” When I started to protest, he grabbed the body wash. Pushing my hands together, he squirted some into my palms. “Wash me, Angel.”

Bringing my palms to his chest, I worked my hands over his pecs, down along his heavily tattooed arms, and then to his rock hard abs. As my hands skimmed above his waist, his stomach tensed while his erection bucked up against my hand. Eying it, I couldn’t help but start to feel some of the anxiety Jake had earlier. I pressed myself flush against Jake to reach around to wash his back before I let my hands dip down to grip his butt cheeks.

With our bodies so close, Jake began to slide his erection against my folds. I gasped and rocked back against him. Just as I began to get carried away again, he stopped. In a ragged breath he said, “We need to get to the bed.”

“Okay,” I replied.

When we stepped out of the shower, Jake didn’t even bother with a towel. He swept me off my feet and then proceeded to carry me to the bed. Gently, he deposited me on the side of the mattress. Drawing my knees up, I wrapped my arms around my legs while I watched as Jake opened the top nightstand drawer. He pulled out a condom and a bottle of something I didn’t recognize. At what I guess was my questioning expression, he replied, “It’s lube. It’ll make this first time easier for you.”

“I see.” I tilted my head up at him. “So you have a whole drawer of sex goodies in there?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Angel,” Jake replied as he ripped open the foil wrapper.

“And just what am I thinking?”

“That I use this loft as my swinging bachelor pad where I bring all my conquests and bang them.”

I hated myself for being that easy to read. “Are you sure, or are you just giving me a line so I won’t bail on you?”

He grinned. “I keep this out here because it’s the one place that’s off limits for Mama and her cleaning lady. I would prefer to keep this aspect of my life private.”

“Yes, it would break the poor cleaning lady’s heart to find out you were such a naughty boy.”

With a shudder, Jake replied, “Not to mention my mama.”

My laughter died on my lips as Jake began putting on the condom. Even though I wanted to look away, I couldn’t help being fascinated by the sight of him sliding it down his extreme length. When he finished, his eyes met mine, and he nudged my shoulder gently with his own. I then scooted on my butt to the center of the mattress. On his knees, Jake crawled along the bed until he was looming over me.

He kissed me tenderly before plunging his tongue into my mouth. Although I hadn’t kissed a lot of guys or men, I knew good when I experienced it, and Jake was very, very good. As he ravaged my mouth, I felt moisture growing between my legs again. Jake’s hands managed to be everywhere all at once. They were kneading my breasts, caressing my buttocks, or slipping between my legs to stroke me. I shivered in spite of the beads of sweat breaking out along my skin from the heat building within me.

As Jake settled himself between my thighs, I couldn’t help but tense up. This was it—the big moment, and I couldn’t help being nervous. I had to draw in a few deep breaths to calm me down and keep from going into full on panic mode.

When his erection nudged at my entrance, I pinched my eyes shut, bracing myself for the pain.

“Don’t close your eyes,” he whispered, his breath fanning against my cheek. My eyelids fluttered open to take in Jake’s intense stare. “I love you, Angel.”

“I love you, too.”

As he pushed inside me, tears stung my eyes both from the physical pain and the emotional enormity of the moment. “I’m so sorry, baby,” Jake murmured as he kissed away the tears that had escaped in salty streaks down my face.

“It’s okay. I want this…I want you,” I replied as I tried inhaling a few deep breaths. Once Jake felt like I was accustomed to him, he withdrew and thrust back into me. This time it was both painful and pleasurable. “Mmm.”

“Better?”

“Yes.”

He then began to move within me. After a few minutes, the pain evaporated, and I began to feel like raising my hips to meet his thrusts. That caused Jake to moan with pleasure. As we moved in perfect sync together, Jake brought his lips to mine and began to kiss me passionately. His tongue plunged into my mouth and mimicked his movements inside me. A hot flush ran over me from the top of my head down to my toes, and I couldn’t help tearing my mouth away from his to pant and moan with pleasure.