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“I want to, Kendra. But we don’t have to rush this.”

“So, you want it, but you’re trying to talk me out of it?”

“Not trying to talk you out of it. I just want to make sure that you’re ready.”

“Are you ready?” Kendra pressed her hand to the spot between Aspen’s breasts over her shirt and thought about how Aspen might not want to touch her there, given what they’d spent far too much time tonight discussing.

“I’m ready,” Aspen replied. “I’m very, very ready. But I was also ready when I saw you in the elevator earlier, and probably weeks or maybe months ago.”

“Months ago?”

“You are very hot,” Aspen told her in explanation and ran the hand, which had been pressed to the door prior to that, over Kendra’s neck and down until it rested in the spot Kendra had just been thinking she’d never touch.

As Kendra stared into Aspen’s eyes, she knew that Aspen was silently telling her that everything was okay.

“Aspen…”

“You and me,” Aspen said. “Only you and me.”

“Yes,” Kendra replied. “Only you and me.”

“You have to tell me what’s okay and what’s not. I don’t want to touch you there if you don’t want me to,” Aspen whispered in her ear.

“It’s okay,” she replied. “Just take me to bed, Aspen.”

Aspen stood back and held out her hand for Kendra to take. Kendra was terrified because she knew what she was about to do, and it was something she’d never done before. When Aspen sat on the end of the bed, she held her arms out, and Kendra walked into them, letting Aspen hold her by the hips as she looked up into Kendra’s eyes.

“Take my shirt off, Aspen,” she said.

Aspen reached for the button-down and untucked it from Kendra’s pants. Then, she unbuttoned her shirt and parted it for Kendra, who let it fall down to the floor. This part wasn’t a big deal. This part Kendra had done before. Aspen lifted her undershirt a little and began kissing her stomach. She looked up at Kendra with those deep hazel eyes, and Kendra nodded, telling her that it was okay. As Aspen lifted the undershirt just a little bit higher, though, Kendra’s heart began to race more than it had been already because her scar was long, so another inch up, and Aspen would see it. This was the part she’d never done before.

“You’re shaking,” Aspen noted and reached for her hand. “Kendra, you’re shaking. I–”

“It’s okay,” she replied. “Just give me a minute.”

“Babe, we don’t have to do this tonight. We can wait. I’m not–”

Kendra didn’t let her finish that, though, and went to pull off her undershirt, leaving her in only her bra in front of someone else for the first time in a decade. The shaking didn’t stop, and Aspen didn’t look down. Her eyes were still glued to Kendra’s.

“Was that something you needed to do or something you thought I needed you to do?” Aspen asked.

“It was something I needed to do,” she said nervously.

“What do you need right now?”

“You to take off your shirt.”

Aspen quickly yanked off her sweater and shirt under it, leaving her in only her sports bra.

“And?” Aspen asked, still not looking down.

“Your bra.”

Aspen tugged until her bra was off, and Kendra could see her for the first time.

“Baby, you…” Kendra’s hands went immediately to Aspen’s breasts, which were small and perfect, with hard-with-arousal rosy nipples sticking out, ready for Kendra’s lips. “God. Your pants.”

Aspen leaned back on the bed, and with her eyes still on Kendra’s, she unbuttoned and unzipped her own jeans, nodded at Kendra, and waited. Kendra pulled at them until they were around Aspen’s ankles. Aspen, for her part, kicked at her shoes to allow Kendra to get the jeans off completely. Then, she just lay there, looking perfect in only her boy shorts.