"Lily," he said, kissing along her jaw to her ear. "I want to make love to you so badly."

Lily trembled, still confused. "I don't understand." He hadn't touched her since that first kiss they'd shared last week, and now he was holding her as if she were precious.

He smiled into her skin. "What's to understand?" He kissed her again, long and deep, drugging her with pleasure. "You're the strongest woman I've ever met."

She pulled back, disbelieving. "You're joking. I'm pudgy and old and—" she broke off when he kissed her mid-word.

"You're curvy and beautiful and incredibly courageous." He kissed her again, hands going to her hair. "You're perfect. Trust me?"

She bit her lip, holding onto his shoulders. She felt dizzy, like the world had suddenly tilted the wrong direction. "You're serious?"

"Lily." He leaned back, hands still in her hair. His eyes were dark with arousal as he looked at her. The look on his face sent heat running down her spine. "I want to kiss you and touch you and sink inside of you until neither of us can tell which way is up anymore."

She caught her breath at that last statement. It had been so long since a man had wanted her, how could she pass this up?

"Yes." She didn't say anything else, just that one simple word. Matt's expression went from patience to intense arousal in a flash.

"Kiss me," he said, leaning in. "Kiss me until we both forget the past."

She did as he asked, holding onto his shirt with her fists. "Don't stop," she said when he let go of her hair.

"I'm not," he assured her, reaching down to slide his fingers under the straps of her tank top. "I promise." He kissed down her neck, nibbling on her collarbone.

Lily threw her head back, suddenly so aroused she couldn't think straight. "Matt, God—" She threaded her fingers into his hair as he mouthed down until his lips were poised right over a nipple. "Yes," she said, urging his head closer.

His lips closed over the erect nub right through her clothes. He breathed out, heating the soft cloth of her shirt and she sucked in a gasp. He chuckled, then slid his hands up underneath her top. "Take this off."

"You too," she said, letting him pull her tank top over her head. Her breasts bounced out and his face went taut, hands immediately going to her bosom.

Thank God I'm wearing my new bra, she thought, hating the idea of what he would think of her wearing a ratty old cotton bra that no longer fit quite right.

His thumbs flicked over her nipples, sending sparks of heat through her. She moaned, holding his wrists. The lace that held her breasts in place did nothing to disguise the perkiness of her nipples.

"Yeah, fuck. That's just gorgeous," he muttered, flicking his fingers again and again until she writhed.

"Matt, you too." She tugged at his shirt ineffectually.

He shrugged her hands away and took it off in one swift movement. She stared at his chest as he went back to tormenting her. He has muscles on top of muscles, she thought vaguely, trying to catch her breath. She traced her hands over him, delighting in the crisp hair on his pecs. When a finger caught on his nipple, he groaned, head dropping down to kiss her again.

"God, Matt, what are you doing to me?" she asked when he let her up for air.

"That's my question," he muttered, trying to get her bra unhooked. He wasn't having much luck. He yanked at it and she laughed under her breath.

"Here. Let me," she said, reaching behind her back. She undid the clasp easily, and then held the lace up to her bare breasts uneasily. She knew he knew she wasn't skinny, but somehow, letting go of the little scrap of fabric was more honesty than she could bear.

"Mmmm, Lily. You're so pretty," he said, seemingly not noticing her hesitation. He dropped his head into her cleavage, kissing his way over her fingers until his mouth nudged them aside. He licked her nipple, then took it into his mouth, sucking hard.