"I already do love you," she choked out around the emotion clogging her throat. "I've loved you from the first moment I touched you. Show me your love, Isaac. Please. Show me how it's supposed to be. You've given me the words. Now give me the act itself."
EIGHTEEN
ISAAC froze, his hands that were still framing her beautiful face trembled as he soaked in the most beautiful words he'd ever heard in his life. He couldn't breathe. The knot in his throat was so huge, it was choking him and cutting off his ability to suck in air. His heart raced, pounding the inside of his chest like a jackhammer and his eyelids burned like they were on fire.
"Are you sure, my sweet angel?" he finally managed to rasp out, the words stuttering over numb lips. "Because just knowing you love me is enough. It will always be enough. If you aren't ready for me to make love to you then we'll wait. I'll wait. For as long as it takes until you're sure that this-that I'm-what you want. We have forever."
Jenna cupped her hands over his, then turned, sliding her mouth into the palm that had been cradling her cheek. She closed her eyes and pressed a tiny kiss into his large hand and simply held on to him, holding his hands in place against her face.
"You're the only thing I'm sure of, the only solid thing in my life. You're the only thing I've ever been certain of after so many years of fear, hopelessness and uncertainty. I may not have ever witnessed what love looks like, but I know what love isn't. I also know that I've never felt the way I feel right now about anyone else but you. So yes, Isaac, I'm ready. I've been waiting for you my entire life. Don't make me wait any longer," she pleaded as she nuzzled even further into his palm, peppering tiny kisses everywhere her lips touched.
Isaac was overcome and it took him a moment to regain his composure and to swallow back the wave of emotion that unsteadied him. He blinked away the tears that made his vision blurry. Then, still cupping her face, he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her with tenderness he didn't even know he possessed.
"I'll go slow and I'll be gentle, baby," he whispered. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you but . . . "
He was tormented by the fact that, regardless of how slow or easy he was with her, he would hurt her. She was untouched by any man, a virgin. If that wasn't enough, she was tiny and delicate and he was a large, hulking man who could so easily crush her without even realizing it.
His dick was rigid, swelling painfully against the confines of his pants, and he groaned. He was big everywhere. How the hell would she ever be able to take him? There was also the fact that he was on the verge of coming right now, and he wasn't even close to being inside her. He doubted he'd get much more than the head of his erection inside her before he came all over her. How was that supposed to be good for her? The last thing he wanted was for her introduction to making love to be over with in two seconds and wondering if that was all there was to it.
Christ, he had to get it together. And for now, he was leaving his damn pants on. He had to make this special for her. He wanted to make it good, wanted her to come screaming his name in pleasure.
He drew away, sliding his hands from her face down the length of her body until he got to the hem of her shirt. He slipped his fingers underneath but halted and stared into her eyes.
"I'm going to undress you, baby. I don't want you to be scared or embarrassed. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life and I intend to show you just how beautiful I think you are. But if I ever go too fast, if I ever do anything that frightens you, let me know and I'll stop and take it down a notch and then we'll work up to it again until you feel comfortable enough to keep moving forward, okay?"
"Okay," she whispered, licking her lip nervously.
He regarded her seriously, making certain she was meeting his eyes with her gaze. "Promise me, sweet angel. We have all the time in the world. Promise me you'll tell me if you're afraid, if anything I do hurts you or if you just want to stop or take a break for a while."
She smiled back at him and it was as if the entire room was suddenly bathed in sunshine. He felt the warmth to his bones, felt it enter his bloodstream and quickly travel throughout his entire body.
"I promise," she said.
He began lifting her shirt, inching it upward, his eyes never leaving hers so he could be certain she was with him the whole way and that no panic ever entered her expression. When he had her shirt up over her breasts, he paused again.
"Lift your arms up," he said huskily.