Tony didn’t know what was going to happen, but she looked wrong sleeping on the couch. Her bedroom was so close; he decided she needed to be in there.

“Claire, put your arms around my neck.”

He waited. Would she respond? She moaned again with a slight shake of her head. Tony tried for another kiss. This time when their lips united, hers were no longer soft, but firm and puckered as they pushed against his. When her mouth parted slightly and her tongue searched for his, he couldn’t control himself any longer. Conscious reasoning disappeared as primal instinct took over. Before he could repeat his demand, her arms encircled his neck, fanning the heat of his desire. His mouth searched for hers, hungry for more. This wasn’t just him. He’d felt the mutual attraction earlier. They were both willingly surrendering. Claire’s breasts heaved against his chest as her arms tightened their embrace. He gently lifted her from the sofa causing their lips to momentarily disengage.

The sound of her purring unrecognizable words as she nuzzled her cheek into his shirt made her room suddenly seem too far away. Tony wanted to ask if she were sure, if she wanted this as much as he did, yet, as he lowered her onto her bed, he feared her response. If he didn’t ask, he could claim innocence. Gazing into her bedroom eyes, he slowly removed the clip from her hair and fanned the long brown tresses over her pillow. The scent of shampoo filled his senses, as her back arched and the most beautiful smile lit his world.

His fingers lingered at her collarbone as his lips found the sensitive skin of her neck. Piece by piece, he removed her clothing. At times he directed her movements, asking her to lift her arms or arch her back. Each command was met with compliance. When he lifted her camisole over her head, he watched as her pink nipples hardened before his eyes.

Tony couldn’t stop his fingers from caressing the hard nubs. Claire’s body responded as she pushed her breasts toward his hands and whimpered his name.

The sound of Claire speaking his name—dripped with need—threatened his resilience as he eased her soft pants over her hips and toward her ankles. Before he could remove them completely, Tony saw her panties and gasped. The small piece of black lace was Claire’s ultimate display of independence. The panties both fascinated and intrigued him. Curiously, he encircled her hips with his large hands as his thumbs teased the small bow directly above his destination.

Lost in his own sensations, he didn’t notice the change in Claire’s breathing until he saw the goose bumps upon her skin. When he tore his eyes from the delicate lace, he saw her alarm. Tony couldn’t comprehend the change; instead, he breathed deeply in anticipation and displayed a reassuring, devilish grin.

She sighed as her eyes mellowed, and she lifted her hips for him to remove the panties. When they slipped over her ankles, she said, “This isn’t real. This is a dream.”

“Do you want it to be a dream?”

She shook her head, and repeated, “It isn’t real.”

Tony smiled at her justification. There was no way this wasn’t real. He’d dreamed about her, her scent, and the taste of her soft skin. He’d imagined her body and fantasized about her responses… this was all of that and more!

After he removed his clothes, he climbed upon the bed and watched her eyes for approval. Tony wanted this more than he wanted life, but he wouldn’t take it from her unwillingly. He’d done that before and swore to never again. With her petite body radiating immense heat, he eased himself over her. The tips of her hardened nipples pressed against his chest as he lowered his lips once again to her shoulder.

“Please,” was all Claire could seem to manage as his lips moved from shoulder to neck and down to her breasts. As he suckled each nipple, Claire’s fingers wound through his hair and pulled his mouth tighter against her chest. When his lips moved past her flat stomach, her pleas became louder and less coherent. The scent of her arousal intoxicated Tony as he gently spread her legs.

“God, you are so amazing.” He needed to hear her approval. If she denied him, he didn’t know if he could stop, but he needed to know that this was consensual. “Are you sure?” Once again, he held himself above her body as their eyes made contact. “Claire, are you sure?”

“Oh, God, yes, please!”

She didn’t need to repeat herself. His fingers delved as gasps and moans filled his ears. Her petite hands seized his shoulders as her body quivered at his touch. When the time came and they reunited, Tony couldn’t remember anything, anytime, feeling so right.

Claire was his. He’d made terrible mistakes and done awful things, but as they moved in sync, he saw hope for a future. He told her over and over how beautiful she was, how magnificent she was, and how much he wanted her. He knew it wouldn’t be easy—hell, he wasn’t supposed to be seen with her in public—but it would be. He knew every inch of Claire, inside and out. He knew that the woman with him was there willingly. She may keep making comments about reality and dreams, but he understood. This was his dream, too.

Her time away hadn’t changed the magnificent woman she was. She still excited him. Her hands, lips, and body could bring him to heights he’d never approached with anyone else. Her lack of inhibition proclaimed her newfound independence. She willingly pleased him while allowing him to fulfill her every fantasy. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. There was no question: in dream or reality, they belonged together.

After every desire was fulfilled and every height exceeded, they collapsed in each other’s arms. Claire’s breathing slowed as she nuzzled against his chest, and her fingers swirled through his chest hair. Within moments, she was sound asleep.