“I . . . just . . . need your help.” She felt her face flush as she stammered her request. She was embarrassed that she had no idea what to do next. If Mac hadn’t still been hard as stone against her bottom, she would be terrified that he was tired of her clumsy foreplay.

His hands shifted to her waist as he started lifting her. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. You’re still in the driver’s seat, though. You tell me when you want more, okay?” At her nod, he stopped with her suspended over his cock, before lowering her just enough to push his thick head inside. They both inhaled loudly, and the room filled with their soft pants and groans.

Mac held her weight as if she weighed no more than a feather. As she adjusted to his intrusion, she simply said, “More.” He lowered her an inch at a time, always waiting for the words before he went farther. Ava’s body struggled to accommodate his size, and prickles of pain warred with pleasure. She was stretched to overflowing, feeling as if his cock was sitting on her cervix when he finally stopped. His entire length was now inside her, and she was almost afraid to move. What if the pain outweighed the desire starting to burn brighter? Maybe she should start small . . . just to see. Experimentally, Ava wiggled her hips, lifting just a tiny bit before sitting back down on Mac’s cock. “Ohhh myyy,” she groaned, unable to comprehend the sensations brought on by that one small move. Under her, Mac had gone rigid, as if fighting for control. She lifted farther the next time, pulling up a couple of inches before slamming back down harder. Without conscious thought, her hands went to her breasts and she pinched her nipples tightly, whimpering with her need for release. “Mac, please,” she begged as she ground against the base of his cock.

He thrust his hips upward, pushing his big member deeper inside her. Ava felt her vision blur as her body flew toward a bliss that she had never known before. Mac was using his big hands to lift her almost completely off his length before bringing her back down. “Lean over, baby,” he demanded. She fell against his chest, feeling his cock continue to stroke in and out of her as his lips took hers in a scalding kiss. They devoured each other’s mouths before he said, “Put your nipple in my mouth, Avie.” She whimpered as he sucked her stiff peak. He nipped the tip, before soothing the sting with his tongue. “Baby, you feel so fucking good,” he moaned as she sat back up, meeting him thrust for thrust now.

Something was happening to her, and she was almost afraid to see it through. Her entire body seemed to be tingling. She vaguely wondered if Mac was giving her a heart attack. As she tried to pull back, scared by the intensity of the feelings racing through her, Mac seated himself deeply one more time while reaching a hand to pinch her clit. Her world froze in that moment, everything seeming to happen in slow motion. Her ears roared, her breath stuttered, and then it all came back into focus in one big explosion. Her body clasped around his as an endless contraction seemed to start deep inside her. She vaguely heard him yell her name before she collapsed weightless against his heaving chest. His hands were on her back now, stroking her, as they remained joined together.

The room was still slightly out of focus when she felt Mac separate from her, despite her protests. He came back to the bed and cleaned her with a cloth before disappearing into the bathroom. She heard water running for a short time and then he was back, picking her up and sliding her under the covers and into his arms. Ava felt completely and deliciously spent as she traced lazy circles on Mac’s chest. “I . . . just—wow,” she said with a goofy smile. “I love your penis,” she added before clapping a hand across her mouth in horror. Shit, she hadn’t meant to say that aloud!

Mac’s chest shook beneath her as he let out a booming laugh. “Is this the part of the night where I admit to loving your vagina as well?”

Ava buried her hot face into Mac’s chest. Was she completely twisted that his praise of her vagina actually turned her on again? “Sleep, baby,” he said against the top of her head. When one of his hands cupped her butt, pulling her even closer, she was amazed to find that she actually could relax enough with a man—her man—to drift away.

*   *   *

Mac lay awake long after Ava had fallen asleep. He couldn’t believe the moment that he had dreamed of for most of his adult life had finally happened. Ava was tucked tightly against him after rocking him to his very foundation. He’d always expected sex with Ava would be good, but he hadn’t expected it to eclipse even his wildest dreams.

He had felt her tense up while he was on top of her, and he’d known she was starting to panic. It would have killed him, but he would have stopped right then if necessary. Switching her to the power position had been his one attempt to see if she would be able to overcome her fear if she felt she was in control. He had continued to watch her for any sign that she was scared. After a few minutes, she had relaxed and taken charge. She was so incredibly sexy and responsive—he had been forced to grit his teeth and quote every useless bit of sports statistics that he could think of to keep from blowing his load early. Just the feel of her tight passage milking him as he buried himself in her inch by slow inch had damn near driven him to madness.

His cock was still hard where it nestled against her thigh. He’d love nothing better than to slip back inside her. But the last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm her after she had taken such a big step. No doubt, she was probably sore as well after their intense bout of lovemaking.

As the light of early morning started to slip into the room, he looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms. He wanted to shout his love for her at the top of his lungs, but years of loving Ava had taught him a hard and painful lesson—she would run in the blink of an eye if she felt threatened. Where his instinct was to put a ring on her finger, what he needed to do now was to take things slow. She was here, in his bed. Now he needed to give her the space to accept that they belonged together.

He’d fix Ava a nice breakfast when she woke and then take his cues from her. If she mentioned something about leaving, he would let her without making a big deal of it. He wouldn’t make the first move even if it meant a constant case of blue balls. He needed to let her stay in control, because he couldn’t stomach the thought of scaring her away now that things had finally progressed. “Whatever you need, baby,” he whispered against the crown of her head, and he meant it. If having her meant taking a step back, he could do that. If it meant that she would be with him for good in the end, he could do whatever it took.