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“I want you to be free, Shae. I want you to do what it is thatyouwant because you want to, not because of some twisted sense of obligation.” I pull back from her, putting both hands on her cheeks to force her to look at me, to look into my soul.

“I want to be with you, not to subtract from your amazingness, not to steal from you, but to lift you up and help you achieve whatever the fuck it isyouwant to achieve.”

Tears well at her lower lids again, and I hate the sight. But this is necessary. We have to go here to move forward…or to move on.

“And yes, Shae. You know I want your body. I want you to have my name on your lips when you come over and over. I want to make you boneless from pleasure, to take you to a place where you can shut your brain off andfeelbecause it’s safe to do so. I want to be everything you need. I want you in every single way possible, Shae Olivya Rivers.”

I’m mesmerized by the fractured lift of her chest as she begins to pant.

“But you’re going to have to be the one to say it, Shae. You’re going to have to be the one who says if we go or if we stop here. So no more stalling. What do you choose?”

She opens her mouth, snaps it shut, then opens it again.

“I…” she looks down at the floor and I lift her head, not allowing her to hide from me.

From this.

“What do you want, Shae?”

I let her breathe. I let her think. And just when I’m about to let it go—about to stop forcing her to face the reality ofus, she says, “Fuck it,” and her lips are on mine.

The first touch of our mouths is electric—a current coursing through us and tying us together as the heat surges in the room. I feel her everywhere, and I want to feel her everywhere.

Mine.

I wrap my arms around her, grabbing her luscious ass and lifting her to me. I carry her out of the kitchen and to the hallway leading to her bedroom.

Once we’re over the threshold, I slam the door shut with my foot, never breaking our kiss.

“You have no idea what you do to me, Shae,” I say against her lips, and when she whimpers, it’s my undoing.

Sliding her down my body, I do the hardest thing in life and move a step back.

Away from her.

“What are you doing?” Her eyes are a bit unfocused, as if she’s drunk on this moment, just as I am.

“I’m looking at what’s mine, Sweetness. I’m committing this moment to memory.”

And then, I go to her bed and situate myself in the middle of it. To prevent myself from doing what I want to do, which is to haul her to my body, I ball my hands into fists.

This moment is critical for us, and what happens here will change everything.

Her mouth opens and she raises her hands to the hem of her shirt.

I keep my gaze on her, trying to make my face undemanding.

“You hold all the power here, so it’s what you want.”

With that gauntlet thrown, I count the heartbeats.

Three.

Two.

One.

Shae rips the shirt over her head, and I have the pleasure of seeing her delectable tits bounce for the first time. Naturally heavy breasts with dark areolas and nipples poke out at me. I gorge myself on her image, imprinting it in my mind.