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Park steps back, and taking a cue fro her parents to laugh

They did it

They’re a family A perfectly imperfect little fa on the tips of her toes to capture my lips as soon as we step in the door And I let it happen I welcoht She tastes sweet, like the soft, fruity tang of the cha the kiss A sound emanates from her throat andit as if we’re having a conversation And we are, in a way, co Every touch that she reacts to, every ain To take it a little farther I’ her how much she means to hs, her voice so low and sloith desire, I swear I feel it in every inch of ers work at the buttons of , so I closethe kiss into each smooth palm before I drop them to remove my shirt

Annie’s eyes trail over ain I can’t help but grin at her I know she likes what she sees, her gaze devouring ht

When she looks at me like this,and rippling with a ferocious craving An aching

I want her so badly

I need her

I step forward, reaching unhurriedly behind her I sweep her long, unruly hair to the side, enjoying the soft strands as they onizing, but I want her to know exactly what I’e her mind if she needs to

I want her to know I’uys she’s been with I won’t be pissed if she needs to stop I can wait longer I want her, but I want her enough to wait

The zipper hits the end of the seam and she lets it fall froles the rest of the way out of it I just watch, raceful moveets sexier with each passing day And not just sexier More beautiful--inside and out Annie’s e ers hesitantly to her face, letting my thumb caress her cheek "You are so…" I trail off because I can’t say pretty Pretty isn’t big enough Beautiful fits, but sounds so cliché

She’s staring up atOn hs softly as her hand cups around my wrist The huain touching and I’ue brushesbefore I slip it off her shoulders, and then ever so slowly down her arms

I see her hands twitch as I release the e to cover herself, her cheeks heating

I’m not sure I’ll ever understand how so to such a distorted view of herself Will she ever kno incredible she is? Will she ever be able to see it?

"You’re perfect," I reassure her

She closes her eyes, her body treain, I see resolution in her eyes I have no idea what it irl will always be somewhat of a mystery to me, but I don’t ask I don’t say a word I just watch as she tugs the belt fro her onto aze down at her Soak up every inch of her lying naked on top of ins to re that shouldn’t be considered underwear, but that looks sexy as hell on her body I slide out of htstand,hers as I roll it on I crawl over her, stopping one last ti sure this is what she wants

That I’m what she wants Because this isn’t just sex Not for me

She pulls efor this and there are no words for how incredible she feels wrapped aroundhad been e deeper, but I holdevery detail

"Shh," she whispers Her fingers work into roan as I begin toI’ll last Her breaths coripsinto the skin there

Shit

I duckhard She jerks in my arms and holds onto my neck

"Chase," she pants I look up into her eyes and the way she watches me feverishly kiss her breast turns ue down the space between, and then slowly lance up to

"You taste perfect, too" I thrust into her, pulling a s aroundapart just to coain Over and over I press my lips to her hair, her cheeks, her lips, her neck--everywhere--as we find our bliss

I fall onto the bed, curvingcontently Tonight has been pretty et married Then this Finally this She orth every second of the wait

This girl I’ve loved for so long

I feel row heavy

~~

When I open htly I throw roan

And then I re Cool sheets greet me and I peer out from under the curve ofin ht pink post-it, one of hers, is stuck to the pillow She wroteDear John letter on a post-it? I pluck it up and squint at it,akin to relief washes through er

I hold the post-it aboveit onceit a second time"

Three words

Three prefect words left for htly as I smile, stuck somewhere between awe and joy

She said it first

45

I Will Not Bow

Annie

I told him

Okay, I didn’t tell him in the sense I spoke the words to his face, but he knows

Chase knows I love him Or he will as soon as he wakes up and finds the note I left hi on homework before my shift at the library But I’m a mess I can’t concentrate I’m worried how Chase will react What if he doesn’t feel the sa as mine What if I rushed this and scared him off?