The Moment of Truth

Leaning forward, she kissed him softly. Letting him know that he wasn’t alone.

He’d said he wanted her.

And God knew, she wanted him.

* * *

JOSH KNEW HOW to please a woman. The shy ones and the bold ones. The experienced and the inexperienced. He could adjust his pace, his appetite, to fit. And he always enjoyed himself, even if he didn’t finish.

He liked women and he liked sex.

Kissing Dana wasn’t about sex. It was about needing to be as close to her as possible.

He was turned on, but that experience wasn’t new to him. What was completely unfamiliar was that his libido wasn’t the driving force this time.

He had no intention of having sex with Dana Harris. Or any woman who’d want commitment.

Holding her against him felt right. The first completely right thing he’d felt since the morning he’d been woken abruptly to be told that Michelle had been found comatose in her apartment.

He’d been the last person to see her conscious.

It was as though Dana was some kind of healing spirit and only by being in her presence, by touching her, could he find absolution. Peace.

Shifting, he lay back and pulled her down beside him, meeting her gaze, and when he read the willingness in her eyes, he kissed her again.

The fact that they didn’t speak didn’t seem the least bit odd to him. There were no words to express what they were giving to each other.

For now, there was only feeling. Giving himself up to the new person he was becoming.

And being aware of the woman in his arms like he’d never been aware of anyone, ever before.

* * *

SHE HAD TO STOP HIM. She never had sex without a condom. Josh’s arms had tightened around her. She was lying against him, resting all of her weight on his weight. And was so on fire she didn’t recognize herself.

It was fantasy come to life but reality was better.

He kissed her again. Oh, God, she was losing it. Her body pressed against his and she liked it and pressed harder. Moved her pelvis along his thigh, her jeans rubbing easily along the fabric of his dress pants.

Her breasts pressed against the solid muscles of his chest and she slid her hands along his shirt, seeking warmth. His warmth.

It was nothing. Just touching. Like kids necking on the couch. And she was consumed in a way she hadn’t been the night she’d lost her virginity. Or any other time she’d been touched by a man.

Josh wasn’t really even touching her. Not in that way. He was holding her. And kissing her. His hands hadn’t strayed from the small of her back.

She ached between her legs and she assuaged the agony with more movement. More pressure. His body rose to meet hers. And she moved a little more, turning sideways, rubbing her taut nipples against his shirt. Their hands were keeping a mutual safe distance from private parts.

She kissed him harder.

He kissed her back and their body movement increased in unison. Josh moved beneath her, pressing rock-hard maleness against her. Her breast brushed the flexed muscle on his arm and she almost cried out with a need to be touched there. To put some kind of finish to the sweet torture. In the midst of all the movement her sweater crept up and her stomach was exposed, her bare skin rubbing against the buckle on his pants.

Trying to pull her sweater down without breaking away from his kiss, she touched his stomach, still covered by his shirt.

Josh breathed in sharply and his kiss grew more dominant, more needy, and ignited a fire inside her that drove all thought away.

He rolled over, pinning her down on the couch with his body on top of hers, and then slid sideways. He undid her jeans, yanked them down over her hips, exposing her panties to the night air. To him.

She couldn’t stop herself from reaching for his belt buckle. It was there and she needed to yank on it worse than anything in the world. Nothing mattered but getting that belt loose and those pants down.

With one hand still beneath her back, he used the other to pull her panties past her knees. And then to shove his own down midhip, freeing his hardened penis. With one quick thrust he was inside of her, moving much as they’d been moving on each other for most of the past hour.

It was over almost as soon as it had begun. She exploded. He exploded. A home run and they’d never even made it to second base.

Dana laughed out loud. She floated somewhere in between fantasy and reality, on a cloud of sensation. Her bra was still fastened, her breasts completely covered. He still had on his tie. He’d never laid a hand on any intimate part of her. Nor did she on him.

And...

They hadn’t protected themselves against sexual disease. Or pregnancy. Thank God it was her safe time, but...was Josh free of STDs?

“Shit.” His exclamation broke into her thoughts.

And Dana figured he’d just read her mind.