I tangled my fingers in the back of her hair and lifted her face to mine. I kissed her slowly, memorizing her mouth with my tongue. She pressed into me and dug her nails into my back as if she couldn’t get enough.

I turned, pressing her up against the wall. Lifting her dress, I wrapped her legs around my hips. She didn’t stop me; instead, she began to move her hips like she knew what she was doing. Our panting breaths filled the room as we kissed. Dropping my mouth to her neck, I kissed softly, nipping at her earlobe before sucking it into my mouth.

“Please Finn,” she said over and over again.

I knew what she was asking me for, but it was too soon. Things were too emotionally fucked up right now, and I didn’t want her searching for consolation in the wrong places. Her friend had just died and her father had just attacked her.

Thinking about what she told me in the car before she fell asleep was making me crazy. He hit her and from what she’d said, it was for no reason at all. That son of bitch hit her!

I growled a little before taking her mouth again. I felt like an animal—wild and ready to rip someone apart. She tugged at her dress, making it move up past her hips, before she began to grind against my towel, against my hard cock. It was then that I knew I had to stop. I was ready to go all the way, but it was wrong. It was the worst time for her to lose her virginity. Once she was done grieving for Amanda, she’d hate me for taking advantage.

I pulled away from her and used my hand to block my hardness. “Faith, we have to stop.”

I was breathing like I’d just run a marathon. Every muscle in my body was tight as if I’d been working them all at the same time.

She shocked me as she followed me, slid her arms around my neck again, and then started kissing me again. She tasted so sweet and her body felt so amazing against mine. I wanted to keep going. I wanted it more than anything, but again, I pulled away. I had to be the levelheaded one.

She looked up at me with pain in her eyes. “Please, Finn, just give me this night. Please.”

That made no sense to me. We had all the nights of our lives if we wanted them.

“There’ll be other nights. We have the rest of our lives, Faith. A lot has happened this week. Let me hold you and when you’re really ready and only when you’re really ready—”

She captured my face in her hands and kissed me again, harder. I kissed her back and then pulled away. “I’m ready, Finn. I’ve never been more ready. What if this is the only night we have together?”

I was confused.

“But it’s not. Don’t even say that.”

“I know, but what if it was? What if someone tried to take me away from you?”

I couldn’t even fathom the idea.

“That won’t happen,” I said.

I clenched my jaws so hard my teeth ached.

“But how do you know?” she asked.

“Because I’d kill anyone who tried to take you away… either that or I’d die fighting for you. No one will ever take you away from me—ever.”

The truth of my words burned in my chest.

Her eyes filled with tears until they broke free and rolled down her cheeks. “I love you, Finn.”

My heart shifted. She meant it. I could see it in her eyes that she meant it, and I’d never been so happy to hear those words. I needed them. I wanted to wrap them up and stick them in a box for safe keeping. They meant everything to me since I felt exactly the same.

I looked her in the eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn’t every day I confessed my love to someone. “I love you, too.”

She smiled up at me before leaning in close. “Then show me.”

She stepped back and reached for the hem of her dress. I could hardly believe my eyes when she pulled it up and over her head. She wore simple white cotton panties with a matching bra. My eyes dropped from her breasts, down her stomach, and landed on her thighs. Her body was beautiful. Her hair was pushed across one shoulder as she shyly peeked up at me from her dark lashes. She’d never looked more like an angel.

And just like that, I gave in to her. Taking her by the hand, I led her to my bed and laid her down. She held her arms out to me and welcomed me into them when I climbed on top of her. I took my time kissing her and touching her in all her secret places. She moaned my name over and over again, and when I felt her fingers make their way into my towel, I moaned, too.

She squirmed beneath me, her breath coming in rampant pants. I removed her bra and panties and blew softly on different parts of her body, making her arch her body and shiver. Once my towel was gone from between us, I pressed and teased her with my body. She shifted her hips and whined.