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And tonight, I think I might believe I am.

We carry our wine glasses to the kitchen, setting them in the sink. Nate steps in front of me, lifts me effortlessly by the hips, and settles me on the counter. He moves between my legs until we’re almost eye to eye, his palms braced on either side of my thighs.

"You drive me crazy, you know that?" he murmurs.

I lean in. "You’re not so easy to ignore yourself."

His lips crash against mine,hot and hungry, but there’s a tenderness underneath, like he's holding back just enough to remind me I matter. The kiss still makes my toes curl, but it’s different this time. More deliberate. Like he’s memorizing me. His hands slide along my hips, anchoring me as his mouth takes its time, his tongue exploring, tasting, and teasing.

Heat swells between us. I unfasten the top few buttons of his shirt, curiosity and want humming through me, then slide myhand across his bare chest. His muscles flex under my touch, warm and solid and so very real.

"You like what you feel, Little Fields?" he teases, voice low and rough.

I smile against his jaw and whisper, "You feel amazing. All that muscle should be illegal. And you're not hard to look at either, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome."

His grin is wicked. "Neither are you. But fair warning, I may bite or nibble when provoked."

"Maybe I want you to."

He groans and kisses me deeper, mouth hot and insistent. His hands trail up my thighs, stopping just at the hem of my dress, fingers pressing gently as if asking a question without words. Every nerve is alive. Every inch of me wants him closer.

"You’re gonna ruin me," he murmurs against my neck.

"You started it," I whisper back, tugging him even closer. He slides his hands beneath my dress, palms skimming up my thighs, coaxing a shiver from deep inside me. When his fingers brush over the thin fabric of my panties, he groans low in his throat. "Jesus, you’re burning up. That for me?" he whispers, voice thick.

I bite my lip and nod, barely able to breathe. "All for you," I say. He presses a kiss just beneath my jaw, slow and devastating. "Fuck, Little Fields… you’re gonna undo me."

I grin, breathless and bold. "Good. Maybe I like the idea of wrecking you."

His eyes flash with something fierce, reverent. "Then I’m all yours."

He lifts me off the counter like I weigh nothing and carries me to the bedroom, never breaking eye contact.

The world narrows to this moment, just him and me.

And this moment is everything I hoped it would be.

“You sure?”

I nod, but he doesn’t move.

“Mandy.”

“I want you,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I trust you.”

His whole expression shifts. Like I gave him something sacred.

He kisses me again, like a promise. Gentle, reverent, unhurried.

When we reach the bed, he puts me down. I’m standing there, heart racing, hands unsure.

“If we do this,” he says softly, “I’m not going to be able to pretend it’s casual. And I don’t want your first time to be a one-and-done. Not when it’s you. Not when it’s me with you.”

“It’s not,” I tell him. “Not for me either.”

The next kiss is deeper. His hands skim my waist, steady and strong, grounding me.

He slides his hands under the hem of my sundress again. “Okay if I…?”