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I have to be dreaming.

There is no universe where Willow St. Claire is straddling my naked body, in my bed…

Except she is.

And I’m wide awake.

A thousand emotions rattle through me in this moment—the most beautiful woman in the world slipping out of her robe.

I watch as she tosses it aside but stop her before she can remove any more clothing.

You don’t go from zero to sixty without a little…foreplay.

Hell, I haven’t even kissed her.

But I’m about to.

“Slow down, baby.” I reach up, gently caress her soft cheek with my fingers, and she leans into my touch.

She really is beautiful. Porcelain skin, delicate features, clear blue eyes, and lips I can’t wait to taste. She’s soft and vulnerable, but also stronger than anyone I know. She took a huge chance, leaving that hospital with a stranger, and now she’s in my bed.

It annoys the fuck out of me that I can’t just lift myself up and wrap my arms around her, but I’m supposed to be careful of my hip. I have the strength to do it, but everything is still healing, and if I wind up twisting the wrong way, I could dislocate it.

And that would be bad.

So I put both hands on either side of her face and gently coax her down.

Until our faces are close.

Close enough for me to feel the warmth of her breath.

“Are you going to kiss me, Hudson?” Her voice is like silk.

“Oh, yeah.” I close the gap between us and the first touch is like dynamite. My cock is already on full alert, nestled between her still-clothed body, but even this small amount of contact is fantastic.

Our mouths move together slowly at first, feather-light kisses I want to savor. Her lips are just as sweet as I imagined and despite the growing ache in my groin, I’m in no hurry to rush things along. I also can’t remember the last time I enjoyed kissing someone this much.

I nibble her lower lip, tugging a bit before I slide my tongue along the edge, making a little trail as I explore. Her mouth opens, inviting me in, and there’s nothing delicate about the way she kisses. Our tongues do a heated dance, vying for dominance. She gives as good as she gets and we’re kissing like we’ve done it a million times.

My hands travel along the curves of her frame—the indentation of her waist, the curve of her hips, and the shapely thighs currently straddling my torso. Even in the midst of our passion, I note how careful she is around my hip. Making sure not to put too much weight there, not rubbing too hard on that side… and I fall a little further under her spell.

I didn’t think to ask the doctor about sex, but it’s been five weeks—and there’s no force on earth that will stop me from taking this as far as she wants it to go.

I pull away, because I can’t kiss her and look at her at the same time, and right now I need both. The top she’s wearing makes very little attempt at modesty, and I can see her nipples poking against the fabric. Her breasts aren’t large, but they’re perfect. Just like the rest of her.

I run my hands up across her flat stomach and slowly cup the soft globes in my hands. A quiet moan escapes her. I use the pads of my thumbs, rubbing them back and forth across her nipples, watching a soft pink flush work its way up her body.

“You like that, princess?”

“So much.”

Her breath hitches when I squeeze her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers, just hard enough to get a reaction. As I suspected, she likes it gentler, and that’s fine with me. I’m a big guy, so I never want a woman to feel overwhelmed by my touch—especially not Willow.

I’m enjoying the hell out of this new intimacy between us, feeling the ripple of soft muscle beneath even softer skin. Burning desire ripples through me as I struggle to stay in control—struggle to keep from ripping off her clothes and burying myself deep inside her. But something tells me that’s how it always is for her, and our first time… well, our first time shouldn’t be rushed.

Our first time.

Like it’s a given there’s going to be more.